Exposition ‘Lithuanian art from the sixteenth to the early twentieth century’    Adresas: Didžioji g. 4, LT-01128, Vilnius. Tel./faksas (8-5) 2120841, tel. (8-5) 2124258. El. paštas galerija@ldm.lt
	Fragments of the exposition

In 1994, the Vilnius Picture Gallery opened its door in the Chodkevicius Mansion, offering the viewer its first permanent exhibition of Lithuanian art from the sixteenth through to the nineteenth century. However, a comprehensive and systematic presentation of the development of Lithuanian art over decades needed a thorough rethinking and validation of the place of individual artists, stylistic epochs, genres, trends, and movements. The Lithuanian Museum of Art carried out this work incrementally, organizing from 1996 until 2000, the following exhibitions of national and international significance:

• ‘Baroque Art’(1996), as part of the Council of Europe cultural routes programme ‘Baroque Route in Lithuania’
• ‘The Art of Lithuanian Cloisters’ (1996) as part of the Council of Europe cultural routes programme ‘Monastic Route in Lithuania’
• ‘Jonas Kazimieras Vilcinskis and his Publications’ (1997)
• ‘Lithuanian Art from 1907 until 1914’ (1997)
• ‘Vilnius Art Society in the years 1908 -1915’ (1997)
• ‘Vilnius Classicism’, as part of the Council of Europe campaign ‘Europe – a Common Heritage’ (2000)

These exhibitions featured mostly works offered for public attention for the first time following their restoration. The 1994 exhibition and the subsequent national and international thematic exhibitions evolved into a comprehensive and multifaceted exhibition encompassing Lithuanian art from the sixteenth through the early twentieth century. The new exhibition represents the development of Lithuanian art as a permanent programme fostering national art. The authors of the exhibition are Romualdas Budrys, Laima Bialopetraviciene and Dalia Tarandaite.

The display is a combination of historic interiors of the Chodkevicius Mansion and exhibition rooms featuring Lithuanian art from the sixteenth through the early twentieth century. The exhibition reveals the course of Lithuanian art in a comprehensive and consistent manner, including also the cultural revival at the turn of the twentieth century and the first exhibitions of Lithuanian art. From its inception, the exhibition, besides highlighting  the architectural beauty of the of the Chodkevicius Mansion, and of the artworks displayed, was intended to capture the spirit of Vilnius in the first half of the nineteenth century and introduce renowned personalities of Vilnius who significantly contributed to Lithuanian culture.

The main body of the exhibition reveals, in a chronological manner, the development of Lithuanian art. The display is extended by the works of the artists of the second half of the nineteenth century who were left out from the previous, 1994 exhibition; the collection of all Vilnius painters of the nineteenth century is also more complete this time. 

The exhibition is renewed and expanded by new pieces yearly. Since 2000 the Chodkevičius Mansion hosted a number of movable exhibitions; the interior décor and the art works displayed in the rooms of the mansion provided for the organisers of these events an ideal setting to realise their ideas.

Interiors in the Classical style

Several rooms dedicated to the exhibition feature furniture and other artefacts of the Classical style from the collections of the Lithuanian Art Museum. The display is changed yearly, thus providing the visitor opportunities to see different exhibits from the Museum’s collection.