The Gates of Dawn

The watercolour The Gates of Dawn was painted when L. Wysocki lived in Vilnius in the interwar period and worked at various jobs: he was a photographer and painter, and ran a souvenir shop. He took pictures of famous sights in Vilnius, and printed card-size photographs on paper. He sold these cards and other souvenirs in his shop at 8 Aušros Vartų St. The place attracted many pilgrims, tourists and other visitors, not only to celebrate its special feast day, but also on other holidays too, and even every day, and since many of them bought pictures, Wysocki’s wares were in demand. The watercolour The Gates of Dawn was painted in a documentary and matter-of-fact style, probably from a photograph. It shows the gate from the outside, not from inside the Old Town. It has a Renaissance-style attic, and above the gateway there is a relief with an eagle, the coat of arms of Poland, made in the interwar period by the sculptor Bolesław Bałzukiewicz. The strictly architectural view is relieved by a horse-drawn carriage, which was the main means of transport in Vilnius, the taxi of the period.

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

The watercolour The Gates of Dawn was painted when L. Wysocki lived in Vilnius in the interwar period and worked at various jobs: he was a photographer and painter, and ran a souvenir shop. He took pictures of famous sights in Vilnius, and printed card-size photographs on paper. He sold these cards and other souvenirs in his shop at 8 Aušros Vartų St. The place attracted many pilgrims, tourists and other visitors, not only to celebrate its special feast day, but also on other holidays too, and even every day, and since many of them bought pictures, Wysocki’s wares were in demand. The watercolour The Gates of Dawn was painted in a documentary and matter-of-fact style, probably from a photograph. It shows the gate from the outside, not from inside the Old Town. It has a Renaissance-style attic, and above the gateway there is a relief with an eagle, the coat of arms of Poland, made in the interwar period by the sculptor Bolesław Bałzukiewicz. The strictly architectural view is relieved by a horse-drawn carriage, which was the main means of transport in Vilnius, the taxi of the period.

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