A hall in Vilnius’ Museum of Antiquities

Chromolithograph after Albert Wojciech Żamett.

Count Eustachy Tyszkiewicz, an archaeologist and historian, spent several decades collecting historical and archaeological curiosities, coins, drawings, maps, artefacts, manuscripts and books, and decided to open his collection to the public. This is how the Museum of Antiquities appeared in 1856. It was the first museum and research institution in Vilnius. The Provisional Archaeological Commission of Vilnius, which was established under the auspices of the museum, attracted the most enlightened members of the nobility and the intelligentsia, including Wilczyński. Charles Claude Bachelier (mentioned in 1834–1852) made a lithograph from a drawing of the museum’s main hall by Albert Wojciech Żamett (1821–1876). The museum was given the hall of the closed university, decorated by Franciszek Smugliewicz, and glass cases were specially made for the exhibits.

Text author Laima Laučkaitė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album VILNIUS. TOPOPHILIA II (2015). Compiler and author Laima Laučkaitė, RES PUBLICA (2018). Compiler and author Rūta Janonienė
Expositions: ‘Vilnius Forever. A Dialogue of Artworks and Guides to the City’, 25 May 2022 – 30 April 2023 Lithuanian Art Centre TARTLE (Užupio St. 40, Vilnius). Curator Laima Laučkaitė.

Chromolithograph after Albert Wojciech Żamett.

Count Eustachy Tyszkiewicz, an archaeologist and historian, spent several decades collecting historical and archaeological curiosities, coins, drawings, maps, artefacts, manuscripts and books, and decided to open his collection to the public. This is how the Museum of Antiquities appeared in 1856. It was the first museum and research institution in Vilnius. The Provisional Archaeological Commission of Vilnius, which was established under the auspices of the museum, attracted the most enlightened members of the nobility and the intelligentsia, including Wilczyński. Charles Claude Bachelier (mentioned in 1834–1852) made a lithograph from a drawing of the museum’s main hall by Albert Wojciech Żamett (1821–1876). The museum was given the hall of the closed university, decorated by Franciszek Smugliewicz, and glass cases were specially made for the exhibits.

Text author Laima Laučkaitė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album VILNIUS. TOPOPHILIA II (2015). Compiler and author Laima Laučkaitė, RES PUBLICA (2018). Compiler and author Rūta Janonienė
Expositions: ‘Vilnius Forever. A Dialogue of Artworks and Guides to the City’, 25 May 2022 – 30 April 2023 Lithuanian Art Centre TARTLE (Užupio St. 40, Vilnius). Curator Laima Laučkaitė.