Still-life

Gifted students, such as Vladas Drėma, Balys Macutkevičius, Antanas Butkūnas, Vaclovas Kosciuška and others, attended the drawing classes run by Kairiūkštis, which operated at the only Lithuanian gymnasium in Vilnius. Fascinated by the avantgarde, the leader of the studio introduced young people to the Constructivist approach. One of his students was Vaclovas Kosciuška (1911–1984), whose early work was strongly influenced by the Constructivist and Art Deco styles that his teacher encouraged. His composition Still-life, created in 1930, shows this quite clearly. Rather untypically, Kosciuška later left for Kaunas to pursue his studies. After graduating from Kaunas Art School, he improved his skills in Paris between 1937 and 1940. His painting At the table probably depicts a scene from Parisian bohemian life. Kosciuška’s work spans many different styles, from decorative stylisation and Art Deco to Impressionism and even Realism.

Text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album KAUNAS–VILNIUS / 1918–1945 (2021). Compilers and text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė
Expositions: "1918-1945 / Kaunas-Vilnius", 27 August 2020 – 21 August 2021, Lithuanian Art Centre TARTLE (Užupio St. 40, Vilnius). Curators Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė.
© LATGA, Vilnius 2025

Gifted students, such as Vladas Drėma, Balys Macutkevičius, Antanas Butkūnas, Vaclovas Kosciuška and others, attended the drawing classes run by Kairiūkštis, which operated at the only Lithuanian gymnasium in Vilnius. Fascinated by the avantgarde, the leader of the studio introduced young people to the Constructivist approach. One of his students was Vaclovas Kosciuška (1911–1984), whose early work was strongly influenced by the Constructivist and Art Deco styles that his teacher encouraged. His composition Still-life, created in 1930, shows this quite clearly. Rather untypically, Kosciuška later left for Kaunas to pursue his studies. After graduating from Kaunas Art School, he improved his skills in Paris between 1937 and 1940. His painting At the table probably depicts a scene from Parisian bohemian life. Kosciuška’s work spans many different styles, from decorative stylisation and Art Deco to Impressionism and even Realism.

Text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album KAUNAS–VILNIUS / 1918–1945 (2021). Compilers and text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė
Expositions: "1918-1945 / Kaunas-Vilnius", 27 August 2020 – 21 August 2021, Lithuanian Art Centre TARTLE (Užupio St. 40, Vilnius). Curators Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė.
© LATGA, Vilnius 2025