"Friendship", 1970s Vintage Print After Mikalojus Ciulionis

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This work is part of Ciurlionis’ Symbolist Period, characterized by his exploration of spiritual and metaphysical themes through delicate and … Read more This work is part of Ciurlionis’ Symbolist Period, characterized by his exploration of spiritual and metaphysical themes through delicate and atmospheric techniques.
M. K. Čiurlionis (1875–1911) was a visionary Lithuanian painter, composer, writer (in Polish), cultural figure, and choirmaster. A musical prodigy, he could play by ear by the age of five and is credited as the founder of Lithuanian professional music. Music permeated all aspects of his creative life, forming a deeply interwoven relationship between sound and image. He approached painting as if composing music, using visual equivalents of rhythm, harmony, and movement. Many of his artworks take the form of musical structures, such as sonatas and cycles, expressing his unique synesthetic vision.
As a student of the Warsaw Drawing School and the Warsaw School of Fine Arts, Čiurlionis became one of the early pioneers of abstract art in Europe. In his short but prolific career, he composed around 400 musical pieces and created approximately 300 paintings (between 1903 and 1909), along with numerous literary works and poems. The majority of his artistic and musical legacy is preserved at the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum in Kaunas, Lithuania.
Čiurlionis was deeply influenced by the idealist philosophies of Kant, Wundt, and Nietzsche. Even more profoundly, his involvement in the Lithuanian national revival shaped his artistic voice. He infused his work with symbolism, allegory, Lithuanian landscapes, and elements of folklore. In 1906, he declared: “I intend to dedicate all my previous and future work to Lithuania.”
Although his painting career lasted only from 1903 to 1909, Čiurlionis’ work resonated strongly with the Lithuanian bourgeoisie of his time, who revered him as the foremost interpreter of the ‘national spirit.’ They especially praised the abstract, somber, and introspective qualities of his art. Today, his influence remains central to Lithuanian culture. In recognition of his enduring legacy, UNESCO declared 2011—the centenary of his death—the Year of M. K. Čiurlionis.

Image dimensions: 11 3/8 x 9 3/4 in.; sheet dimensions: 15 3/4 x 11 3/4 in. The original 1905 work is pastel, watercolor, and tempera on paper and is held in the Collections of the M. K. Ciurlionis National Art Museum, Lithuania. This print was published in 1975 by Vilnius.

Provenance:
Private Collection, California, 2025 (purchased at an open-air market in Kyiv, Ukraine) See less