Keeping of the light: Wincenty Sleńdziński’s (1838–1909) Priestess goes on view at the Vilnius Picture Gallery of the LNMA
Exhibition opening at 5.30 pm Tuesday, 9 December, 2025
At 5.30 pm Tuesday, 9 December, the Vilnius Picture Gallery of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art (LNMA) opens a solo exhibition of the painting Priestess by Wincenty Leopold Sleńdziński (Vincentas Slendzinskis in Lithuanian), one of the finest Lithuanian artists of the second half of the 19th century. The canvas painted in 1837 stayed in private collections for over a hundred and half years, changing hands several times. The protagonist of the painting, the vaidilutė, a pagan priestess in Lithuanian, will meet the Lithuanian audience for the first time.
“It’s a joyful occasion to celebrate another pleasant surprise from the mysterious Lithuanian 19th-century-world of art: Wincenty Sleńdziński’s painting, which previously never visited Lithuania, yet theme-wise appears a profoundly Lithuanian piece of art. The presentation of this painting to the public is inarguably an important contribution to the history of Lithuanian art, made possible by a laudable cooperation of the museum and the private collectors who care for the cause of the cultural heritage of the country,” the exhibition curators Dr Aistė Bimbirytė, Gabija Kasparavičiutė-Kaminskienė and Joana Vitkutė share their joy.
„This piece of art is very important to us as a prize of the long-year work in search for art treasures, a testimony to our continuous effort to discover and to preserve important pieces of Lithuanian art. It is a work by one of the fore-most Lithuanian artists of the 19th century celebrating the spirit of Lithuania. We are happy to present this piece at the Vilnius Picture Gallery which is home to the legacy of the ancient masters of art, where this particular painting effortlessly engages in the broader cultural dialogue. We could not possibly contemplate a better space for the presentation of this masterpiece,” say the owners of the painting Dominykas Šaudys and Regina Šemiotaitė.
The mysterious world of the Baltic mythology, born in exile, inspired by the longing for the motherland
Wincenty Sleńdziński (1838–1909) is well-known to the lovers of the old Lithuanian art. Born in Skrebinai, currently in the Jonava region, he grew up in Vilnius and made an early appearance in the world of art. His canvases integrating the emotionality of Romanticism and realistic treatment of his subjects promptly brought him to fame. The turbulent political events of the 19th century were a dramatic influence on the artist’s life. Sleńdziński was exiled from his motherland for his connections with the participants of the Uprising of 1863–1864 and spent many years abroad. The ideas of 19th-century Romanticism, which extolled the roots of the nation, its culture and past, powerfully attracted the artist in exile. He directed his creative inspirations towards the ancient and mysterious Lithuanian world, the source of the soulfulness and freedom of his native land.
The protagonist of the painting greets the viewer in the mythological space where the virgins tended the sacred flame. The artist features the priestess as a young girl, dressed in a light tunic, with long hair falling across her shoulders like waves. In her hands she holds a shining lamp like a symbol of the tended fire. She is adorned in Baltic ornaments shimmering in the twilight, a handful of wild flowers can be gleaned on her lap. In the distance, above the sea and the hilly seashore, looms a castle. The entire scenery is profoundly romantic, a mythical landscape steeped in mystery.
The arrival of the Priestess in Lithuania following 150 years of wandering
In 1873, the Priestess was purchased directly from the artist’s Dresden studio by the influential counts Kwilecki and graced their Grodziec estate in Poland, as attested by the extant inscription on the reverse of the canvas. The subsequent history of the painting reads like a detective story: after the Second World War it passed into the hands of the canon of the Grodziec parish. In the early 1970s, the painting changed hands again acquired by Father Wojciech Krzywański. Meanwhile the artist’s son, Ludomir Sleńdziński (1889–1980) attempted, on two occasions, to purchase the painting, which he esteemed as his father’s finest, yet without success.
Eventually, in 2025, the canvas was acquired by its current owners Dominykas Šaudys and Regina Šemiotaitė, who brought the painting to Lithuania. The Priestess has been thoroughly examined by Rapolas Vedrickas, a specialist in conservation technologies, while in the workshops of the restorers Linas Lukoševičius and Virginija Murmaitė the canvas and the original frame have been brought back to their original splendour.
“The process of restoration was mainly the thinning of glazing layers. The yellowed varnish obscured many details in the painting, leaving the clouds, the shore and the hills indistinct. The thinning of the layers of glazing has revealed the skyline and the hills, a surprise has been the emergence of the castle, which was invisible even during physical examination,” Lukoševičius explains the details of the conservation process.
The Priestess is welcomed by educational workshops, discussions and tours
After a hundred and half years of wandering from owner to owner, the Priestess preserved its light and the spiritual aspect of Lithuanian identity, and is finally presented to the Lithuanian viewer. This one painting exhibition is a symbolical interlude to the retrospective of Wincenty Sleńdziński to be held by the Vilnius Picture Gallery of the LNMA in 2026.
The solo exhibition of the painting is accompanied by an educational programme. A workshop of Christmas candle making is scheduled at 4.30 pm, 12 December.
At 5 pm 17 January, 2026, the Bridging of epochs: what do art collectors select these days? – an open discussion moderated by Dr Aistė Bimbirytė, will feature the owner of the painting Priestess, Dominykas Šaudys, collector and the head of ARS VIA auction Algirdas Petraitis, and the art critic and expert on art market Karolina Tomkevičiūtė. An exhibition tour guided by the collectors and the curators of the exhibition is pre-scheduled at 5 pm, 29 January, 2026.
For more information on events please visit the LNMA website and social media.
Organizer LNMA Vilnius Picture Gallery
Curators: Aistė Bimbirytė, Gabija Kasparavičiutė-Kaminskienė, Joana Vitkutė
Architect Austė Kuliešiūtė-Šemetė
Designer Elena Ryškutė-Pivoriūnė
Editor Ieva Puluikienė
Translator Raminta Bumbulytė
Conservators: Linas Lukoševičius, Virginija Murmaitė, Rapolas Vedrickas
Partners: Dominykas Šaudys, Regina Šemiotaitė
Exhibition is financed by: Lithuanian National Museum of Art, Dominykas Šaudys, Regina Šemiotaitė
Special thanks to: Father Wojciech Krzywański, Agnesa Seriogina, Dr Jolanta Širkaitė
- Click here to buy an e-ticket for the exhibition
- Plan your visit
- Book a tour in English: +370 681 90329, gidai.vpg@lndm.lt
4 Didžioji st, Vilnius, Lithuania
+370 5 261 1685
vpg@lndm.lt
