You are warmly invited to the opening of the jubilee watercolor exhibition by Kajetonas Sklėrius, Nature and Human Being: The World of Kajetonas Sklėrius’s Watercolors, on Tuesday, April 14, at 5:30 p.m. at the Chapel – The Cultural Creation Center of Anykštėnai of the World (Vilniaus St. 36, Anykščiai). The opening event will feature art historian, Doctor of Humanities Danutė Zovienė, and pianist, Doctor of Arts Jurgis Aleknavičius.
The exhibition is dedicated to marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of local artist Kajetonas Sklėrius (1876–1932), presenting his work as an important part of Lithuania’s artistic heritage. On display will be the artist’s watercolors, revealing a subtle relationship between human beings and nature, the poetry of light, and a sense of the national landscape.
The renowned Lithuanian painter, sculptor, and educator K. Sklėrius was born on July 27, 1876, in the village of Kunigiškiai (Anykščiai District, Svėdasai Eldership), into a well-off peasant family with many children. He was a pioneer of modern watercolor painting in Lithuania and created many valuable works of art. The artist also made sculptures, including portrait reliefs of the poet and priest Antanas Strazdas, physician and public figure Jonas Basanavičius, and his mother. Many of his works are kept in museums or private collections, so they are not easy to view.
K. Sklėrius’s artistic legacy, spanning just two decades, holds an important place in the history of Lithuanian art. His watercolor works can be divided into three periods: early (1906–1913), formative and exploratory (1914–1923), and mature (1924–1931). Particularly valued are the paintings from the late 1920s and the last two years of Sklėrius’s life: seascapes of the Baltic coast with traits of Impressionism and Realism, landscapes from Switzerland, Italy, and France, and portraits of interwar Kaunas women.
The exhibition will be accompanied by educational activities, including watercolor workshops and experiences in art and art therapy. On Thursday, April 16, at 3:00 p.m., art historian Danutė Zovienė will give a lecture on the artistic context of watercolor and on K. Sklėrius’s work at the Chapel – The Cultural Creation Center of Anykštėnai of the World (Vilniaus St. 36, Anykščiai)
We invite you to follow information about the activities accompanying the exhibition.
Organizer: Anykščiai Arts Center
Financial supporters: Anykščiai District Municipality, Lithuanian Council for Culture
Media partner: regional news portal www.anyksta.lt and the newspaper Anykšta
