Evening in the city (recto). Still-life (verso)

A kiosk against the background of an apartment building is one of the most impressive works created by Vytautas Kasiulis (1918–1995) during the Second World War. There is a feeling that it should be interpreted as a true reflection of daily life in wartime, but the light coming from the windows in the dusk contradicts that feeling (where is the blackout recalled by witnesses of the war?). On the other hand, maybe in 1942, Kaunas was not yet worried about Russian air raids, and bookstalls would entice curious readers to buy a newspaper to take back to their cosy and light, but perhaps not too warm, homes. This townscape was painted on the back of a watercolour still-life by the artist, or possibly it was by another student at Kaunas Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts. This attitude towards student work is quite understandable, the more so that during the war, it was necessary to make economies. Artists could acquire materials and tools only with vouchers issued by the Artists’ Association, and therefore every sheet of paper and piece of canvas was to be treasured.

Text author Giedrė Jankevičiūtė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album THE WORLD OF LANDSCAPES I (2010). Text authors Nijolė Tumėnienė, Dalia Tarandaitė, OBJECTS ON SHOW (2017). Compiler and author Giedrė Jankevičiūtė, KAUNAS–VILNIUS / 1918–1945 (2021). Compilers and text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė
Expositions: "Gardens of Paradise", 11 December 2009 – 15 February 2010, Vilnius Picture Gallery, Vilnius

A kiosk against the background of an apartment building is one of the most impressive works created by Vytautas Kasiulis (1918–1995) during the Second World War. There is a feeling that it should be interpreted as a true reflection of daily life in wartime, but the light coming from the windows in the dusk contradicts that feeling (where is the blackout recalled by witnesses of the war?). On the other hand, maybe in 1942, Kaunas was not yet worried about Russian air raids, and bookstalls would entice curious readers to buy a newspaper to take back to their cosy and light, but perhaps not too warm, homes. This townscape was painted on the back of a watercolour still-life by the artist, or possibly it was by another student at Kaunas Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts. This attitude towards student work is quite understandable, the more so that during the war, it was necessary to make economies. Artists could acquire materials and tools only with vouchers issued by the Artists’ Association, and therefore every sheet of paper and piece of canvas was to be treasured.

Text author Giedrė Jankevičiūtė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album THE WORLD OF LANDSCAPES I (2010). Text authors Nijolė Tumėnienė, Dalia Tarandaitė, OBJECTS ON SHOW (2017). Compiler and author Giedrė Jankevičiūtė, KAUNAS–VILNIUS / 1918–1945 (2021). Compilers and text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė
Expositions: "Gardens of Paradise", 11 December 2009 – 15 February 2010, Vilnius Picture Gallery, Vilnius