The picture of Our Lady of the Gates of Dawn in Vilnius

Jan Kazimierz Wilczyński, Album de Wilna, series V

Wilczyński’s publishing activities in the mid-19th century coincided with the rise of the cult of the miracle-working picture at the Gates of Dawn and its popularity in the second half of the century. The many graphic images of the picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary that circulated contributed to its popularity. Among the prints included in the Album de Wilna, graphic images of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Gates of Dawn colourfully decorated with flowers, Neogothic architectural features, and insignia of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were in particular demand. During the 1863 uprising, the Gates of Dawn were not only a place for religious ceremonies, but also became a venue for patriotic manifestations, and the picture of the Virgin acquired a status as patron of the enslaved country.

Text author Dalia Vasiliūnienė

Jan Kazimierz Wilczyński, Album de Wilna, series V

Wilczyński’s publishing activities in the mid-19th century coincided with the rise of the cult of the miracle-working picture at the Gates of Dawn and its popularity in the second half of the century. The many graphic images of the picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary that circulated contributed to its popularity. Among the prints included in the Album de Wilna, graphic images of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Gates of Dawn colourfully decorated with flowers, Neogothic architectural features, and insignia of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were in particular demand. During the 1863 uprising, the Gates of Dawn were not only a place for religious ceremonies, but also became a venue for patriotic manifestations, and the picture of the Virgin acquired a status as patron of the enslaved country.

Text author Dalia Vasiliūnienė