Were the 1960s and 1970s Truly the Golden Age of Lithuanian Painting?

Abstract

The article examines Lithuanian painting from 1965, the year in which the exhibition of Baltic art was held in Moscow. In all likelihood, this prompted the idea of organising joint exhibitions of Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian art independently of Moscow. In Estonia, this contributed to the establishment of the Tallinn Graphic Art Triennial (1968); in Lithuania, the Vilnius Painting Triennial (1969); and in Latvia, the Baltic Watercolour Triennial (1968) and the Riga Sculpture Quadriennial (1972).

The period covered extends to 1987, the year of the 7th Vilnius Painting Triennial. The article examines the presentation of official Lithuanian art within the context of Baltic art, particularly at the Vilnius Painting Triennials, and the canon of Lithuanian painting. An elite of official painters emerged during this period, and their roles, artistic aspirations, and achievements are discussed.

Among the representatives of official art were talented artists whose overall creative trajectories include works of considerable artistic value. Although the ideology associated with some of these works is unacceptable today, their artistic contribution cannot simply be dismissed. The article draws attention to important works of the second half of the twentieth century that were exhibited at the Vilnius Painting Triennials—works that are significant to the history of Lithuanian painting but received little attention from critics at the time and were largely overlooked in reviews and other critical texts.