Vase of flowers

Marian Stefan Kulesza (1878–1943) observed the rules he had learnt at the St Petersburg Academy of Art until the end of his career. After completing his studies, he travelled in Europe, visited many museums, and became convinced that he was an artistic celebrity. His still-life Vase of flowers is a typical 20th-century painting. The disarray of the bouquet emphasises the variety and abundance of the flowers portrayed: the range of colours, from white to pink and rich red, fills the picture with warmth and vitality. Chamomiles droop on their stems, dahlias and other large blooms are wide open but not yet withering: it is the middle of summer. In a few more days autumn will come, followed by the long winter … Kulesza settled in Vilnius in 1919. He became known as a portraitist and a painter of subtle interiors and flowers. As well as painting, he spent much time on social activities: he belonged to the Vilnius Artists’ Society, and from 1931 he headed the Independent Artists’ Society. He died in 1943, amid the horrors of the Second World War.

Text author Giedrė Jankevičiūtė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album OBJECTS ON SHOW (2017). Compiler and author Giedrė Jankevičiūtė

Marian Stefan Kulesza (1878–1943) observed the rules he had learnt at the St Petersburg Academy of Art until the end of his career. After completing his studies, he travelled in Europe, visited many museums, and became convinced that he was an artistic celebrity. His still-life Vase of flowers is a typical 20th-century painting. The disarray of the bouquet emphasises the variety and abundance of the flowers portrayed: the range of colours, from white to pink and rich red, fills the picture with warmth and vitality. Chamomiles droop on their stems, dahlias and other large blooms are wide open but not yet withering: it is the middle of summer. In a few more days autumn will come, followed by the long winter … Kulesza settled in Vilnius in 1919. He became known as a portraitist and a painter of subtle interiors and flowers. As well as painting, he spent much time on social activities: he belonged to the Vilnius Artists’ Society, and from 1931 he headed the Independent Artists’ Society. He died in 1943, amid the horrors of the Second World War.

Text author Giedrė Jankevičiūtė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album OBJECTS ON SHOW (2017). Compiler and author Giedrė Jankevičiūtė