Landscape with a Hut

In his picture the painter depicted a rural homestead and two trees with expressive silhouettes, which become the main “characters” of the landscape. The shapes of the houses and leafage reproduce their individuality and an independent existence, while the somewhat mysterious and romantic mood of the painting reveals the influence of romantic landscapes painted by Ruszczyc and Jamontt. Rationality of the composition and the slightly geometrical simplification of shapes show that the artist was familiar with the principles of synthetism and cubism used in art by P. Cézanne.

Text author Dalia Tarandaitė

Litvak melancholy. The words ‘melancholy’, ‘pessimism’ and ‘sadness’ are often used when describing Litvak art. Art critics in both interwar Lithuania and in other countries noticed this feature in works by Litvaks. The artist and researcher Halina Kairiūkštytė-Jacynienė wrote: ‘The gloominess of the paintings, their unhappy and somewhat depressed mood, is apparently a specifically national Jewish characteristic, which seems to permeate the works of Jewish artists not only in Lithuania but also in the other Baltic States in our times. The sad fate and soul of that ancient nation that lost its homeland seem to be reflected’ (1932, Lietuvos aidas, 134:7).

The pessimistic mood reflected in artists’ work was due to various factors: the cold northern climate of Lithuania, the poor living conditions, the history of the Jewish people, with its frequent expulsions, the world-view formed by the traditions of Judaism and the laws of the Torah, and the Jewish cultural heritage, steeped in mysticism and the fear of God. Jewish artists often identified with the eternally wandering Jew, and consequently their work frequently contains undertones of sadness, pessimism, a longing for the lost Homeland, and a unique Litvak melancholy that is difficult to put into words.

Text author Vilma Gradinskaitė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album THE WORLD OF LANDSCAPES I (2010). Text authors Nijolė Tumėnienė, Dalia Tarandaitė, STORIES OF LITVAK ART (2023). Compiler and author Vilma Gradinskaitė

In his picture the painter depicted a rural homestead and two trees with expressive silhouettes, which become the main “characters” of the landscape. The shapes of the houses and leafage reproduce their individuality and an independent existence, while the somewhat mysterious and romantic mood of the painting reveals the influence of romantic landscapes painted by Ruszczyc and Jamontt. Rationality of the composition and the slightly geometrical simplification of shapes show that the artist was familiar with the principles of synthetism and cubism used in art by P. Cézanne.

Text author Dalia Tarandaitė

Litvak melancholy. The words ‘melancholy’, ‘pessimism’ and ‘sadness’ are often used when describing Litvak art. Art critics in both interwar Lithuania and in other countries noticed this feature in works by Litvaks. The artist and researcher Halina Kairiūkštytė-Jacynienė wrote: ‘The gloominess of the paintings, their unhappy and somewhat depressed mood, is apparently a specifically national Jewish characteristic, which seems to permeate the works of Jewish artists not only in Lithuania but also in the other Baltic States in our times. The sad fate and soul of that ancient nation that lost its homeland seem to be reflected’ (1932, Lietuvos aidas, 134:7).

The pessimistic mood reflected in artists’ work was due to various factors: the cold northern climate of Lithuania, the poor living conditions, the history of the Jewish people, with its frequent expulsions, the world-view formed by the traditions of Judaism and the laws of the Torah, and the Jewish cultural heritage, steeped in mysticism and the fear of God. Jewish artists often identified with the eternally wandering Jew, and consequently their work frequently contains undertones of sadness, pessimism, a longing for the lost Homeland, and a unique Litvak melancholy that is difficult to put into words.

Text author Vilma Gradinskaitė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album THE WORLD OF LANDSCAPES I (2010). Text authors Nijolė Tumėnienė, Dalia Tarandaitė, STORIES OF LITVAK ART (2023). Compiler and author Vilma Gradinskaitė