Portrait

Ancient Greek sculpture has been an important source of inspiration and admiration for Romualdas Kvintas (1953–2018) since his student days. In his Portrait, he seems to aim to capture the essence of ideal beauty, a generalised portrayal of perfectly proportioned femininity imbued with an inner harmony. For Kvintas, it is imperative to draw on the discoveries of the past, with Classical Greek sculptural portraits serving as a guiding light in this case. The light and soft face of the woman, whose texture resembles human skin, delicately and sensitively carved in marble, is contained in a dark bronze frame that forms a stark contrast with it. The bronze headgear not only lends the sculpture a sense of solidity, but also imbues it with an air of theatricality, transforming the idealised woman into a character in an imaginary performance. Kvintas’ signature aestheticisation of material is evident in the sculpture, coupled with a precise execution and a perception of sculpture as a timeless, enduring object. This is further emphasised by his choice of expensive, sustainable and classic materials.

Text author Jurgita Ludavičienė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album MORE THAN JUST BEAUTY (2012). Compiler and author Giedrė Jankevičiūtė, THE ART OF MATERIALS. Compiler and text author Jurgita Ludavičienė
© LATGA, Vilnius 2025

Ancient Greek sculpture has been an important source of inspiration and admiration for Romualdas Kvintas (1953–2018) since his student days. In his Portrait, he seems to aim to capture the essence of ideal beauty, a generalised portrayal of perfectly proportioned femininity imbued with an inner harmony. For Kvintas, it is imperative to draw on the discoveries of the past, with Classical Greek sculptural portraits serving as a guiding light in this case. The light and soft face of the woman, whose texture resembles human skin, delicately and sensitively carved in marble, is contained in a dark bronze frame that forms a stark contrast with it. The bronze headgear not only lends the sculpture a sense of solidity, but also imbues it with an air of theatricality, transforming the idealised woman into a character in an imaginary performance. Kvintas’ signature aestheticisation of material is evident in the sculpture, coupled with a precise execution and a perception of sculpture as a timeless, enduring object. This is further emphasised by his choice of expensive, sustainable and classic materials.

Text author Jurgita Ludavičienė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album MORE THAN JUST BEAUTY (2012). Compiler and author Giedrė Jankevičiūtė, THE ART OF MATERIALS. Compiler and text author Jurgita Ludavičienė
© LATGA, Vilnius 2025