Wild Souls. Symbolism in the Art of the Baltic States
The exhibition of Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian Symbolists was first shown at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris in celebration of the centenary of the independence of the Baltic states. Later it was moved to the KUMU Art Museum in Tallinn and in 2020, on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the restoration of independence of the Baltic countries, it was presented at the National Gallery of Art in Vilnius and at the Latvian National Art Museum in Riga.
The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive catalogue, which highlights the importance of the painters from the three Baltic states and the relevance of their work in the overall context of Western art history. The Symbolist art of the Baltic states is virtually unknown, both to the general public and to Symbolism scholars from other countries. Distinctively unique, fascinating authors never received wider recognition and remained in the background, although the Baltic cultural and artistic life at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries was highly interesting, marked by national romanticism, the search for one’s own national identity, artists’ societies and the first exhibitions. Inspirations drawn from a variety of sources took on a symbolic expression. Artists turned to the folk art and folklore of their respective countries and expressed increasing interest in myths and historical heritage. „This is an entirely new spiritual continent and Čiurlionis is its first Christopher Columbus“, wrote the French writer Romain Rolland in a letter to Sofija Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė in 1930. In the catalogue, the curator of the exhibition and renowned Symbolism researcher Rodolphe Rapetti (France) gives a detailed overview of the background that enabled the emergence of Symbolism in the art of the Baltic states, its development, main features and most remarkable representatives. Thirty-six Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian Symbolist painters are introduced by presenting reproductions of their artworks accompanied by extremely comprehensive descriptions. Each work of art is placed in a broad historical context, drawing the main lines of its narrative, revealing the story of its creation, and describing its main stylistic features.
Wild Souls is an attempt to put the little-known Baltic artists back on the global map of art history by presenting the individuality and beauty of their art.
Catalogue editors: Algė Andriulytė, Eglė Mikalajūnė
Authors of the texts: Rodolphe Rapetti, Algė Andriulytė, Daiva Beliūnienė, Marita Bērziņa, Aija Brasliņa, Ieva Burbaitė, Gundega Cēbere, Eero Epner, Danutė Gruzdienė, Linda Kaljundi, Jaak Kangilaski, Lola Annabel Kass, Dace Lamberga, Laima Laučkaitė, Mai Levin, Gunta Madlinska, Aistė Praškevičiūtė, Bart Pushaw, Liis Pählapuu, Julija Račiūnaitė, Jurgita Rimkutė-Vainiuvienė, Genovaitė Vertelkaitė-Bartulienė
Copy editors: Monika Grigūnienė, Gražina Rutskienė, Richard Adang, Jonathan Cairns, Noah Friedman
Translators: Margita Galītis, Agnė Mackevičiūtė, Skirmantė Cairns, Judita Malininaitė, Juta Ristoo, Ieva Venskevičiūtė, Agnė Zujevaitė
Graphic design and image editing Tuuli Aule
Published by The Lithuanian National Museum of Art, 2020
Printed by „Standartų spaustuvė“
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