Madonna in the Street

Kaunas Art School did not have the status of an institution of higher education until 1939, so that talented and determined students would go to study and improve their skills in art schools abroad, with scholarships from the Ministry of Education or other institutions. Most Lithuanian students chose Paris. Among them was Vytautas Kazimieras Jonynas (1907–1997), whose exposure to Western Modernist art in France significantly influenced his work. Attending the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts from 1931 to 1934, followed by a period at the École Boulle in 1935, Jonynas immersed himself in the artistic trends of the time. He came close to Art Deco in the stylisation of forms in his prints during his Paris period. Jonynas’ prints depicting religious themes stand out, in which he depicted traditional Christian scenes in a modern context. A typical example is his portrayal of a modern Madonna venturing out on to the streets.

Text author Ieva Burbaitė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album KAUNAS–VILNIUS / 1918–1945 (2021). Compilers and text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė, ARTISTS ON THE MOVE (2025). Compiler and text author Laura Petrauskaitė
Expositions: "1918-1945 / Kaunas-Vilnius", 27 August 2020 – 21 August 2021, Lithuanian Art Centre TARTLE (Užupio St. 40, Vilnius). Curators Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė; "Solely Saints", 6 June 2024 – 1 May 2025, Lithuanian Art Centre TARTLE (Užupio St. 40, Vilnius). Curators Skaidrė Urbonienė and Emilija Vanagaitė.

Kaunas Art School did not have the status of an institution of higher education until 1939, so that talented and determined students would go to study and improve their skills in art schools abroad, with scholarships from the Ministry of Education or other institutions. Most Lithuanian students chose Paris. Among them was Vytautas Kazimieras Jonynas (1907–1997), whose exposure to Western Modernist art in France significantly influenced his work. Attending the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts from 1931 to 1934, followed by a period at the École Boulle in 1935, Jonynas immersed himself in the artistic trends of the time. He came close to Art Deco in the stylisation of forms in his prints during his Paris period. Jonynas’ prints depicting religious themes stand out, in which he depicted traditional Christian scenes in a modern context. A typical example is his portrayal of a modern Madonna venturing out on to the streets.

Text author Ieva Burbaitė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album KAUNAS–VILNIUS / 1918–1945 (2021). Compilers and text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė, ARTISTS ON THE MOVE (2025). Compiler and text author Laura Petrauskaitė
Expositions: "1918-1945 / Kaunas-Vilnius", 27 August 2020 – 21 August 2021, Lithuanian Art Centre TARTLE (Užupio St. 40, Vilnius). Curators Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė; "Solely Saints", 6 June 2024 – 1 May 2025, Lithuanian Art Centre TARTLE (Užupio St. 40, Vilnius). Curators Skaidrė Urbonienė and Emilija Vanagaitė.