The Sarbievijus Courtyard of Vilnius University

We know little about S. Butkiewicz, who lived in Vilnius between the wars and painted realistic views of Vilnius. Of all the old and remote corners of the university, the artist picked out the Sarbievijus Courtyard, which is distinguished by its mighty 16th-century buttresses. The tall buildings and the Church of Sts Johns and its belfry, towering over the courtyard, emphasise the powerful verticality of the architecture. The courtyard was named after Motiejus Kazimieras Sarbievijus (Mathias Casimir Sarbiewski, 1595–1640), one of the most distinguished Baroque poets of Lithuania, who wrote in Latin and was known throughout Europe under the name Horatio of the Sarmatians. He lived in Rome between 1623 and 1625, where his work was influenced by Italian culture, and Roman art, architecture and literature. In 1627, Sarbievijus began lecturing on rhetoric and philosophy at Vilnius University, and after his death one of the courtyards was named after him. Between the wars, the Faculty of Humanities was based in this part of Stephen Báthory University in the 20th century. Today, it is the Department of Philology, and so the humanitarian and literary tradition has continued over the centuries.

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album VILNIUS. TOPOPHILIA I (2014). Compiler and author Laima Laučkaitė

We know little about S. Butkiewicz, who lived in Vilnius between the wars and painted realistic views of Vilnius. Of all the old and remote corners of the university, the artist picked out the Sarbievijus Courtyard, which is distinguished by its mighty 16th-century buttresses. The tall buildings and the Church of Sts Johns and its belfry, towering over the courtyard, emphasise the powerful verticality of the architecture. The courtyard was named after Motiejus Kazimieras Sarbievijus (Mathias Casimir Sarbiewski, 1595–1640), one of the most distinguished Baroque poets of Lithuania, who wrote in Latin and was known throughout Europe under the name Horatio of the Sarmatians. He lived in Rome between 1623 and 1625, where his work was influenced by Italian culture, and Roman art, architecture and literature. In 1627, Sarbievijus began lecturing on rhetoric and philosophy at Vilnius University, and after his death one of the courtyards was named after him. Between the wars, the Faculty of Humanities was based in this part of Stephen Báthory University in the 20th century. Today, it is the Department of Philology, and so the humanitarian and literary tradition has continued over the centuries.

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album VILNIUS. TOPOPHILIA I (2014). Compiler and author Laima Laučkaitė