St Stanislaus Kostka

This picture of a young man by Łucja Bałzukiewiczówna (1887–1976), an artist from Vilnius, is based on the principles of Renaissance portraiture: the face, above a white collar, and the hands folded in prayer are lit up against a dark background. The intense look is directed at the viewer.

It depicts the Jesuit saint Stanislaus Kostka (1550–1568), whose short life was marked by humility and a desire to serve God. He was born into a Polish noble family, went to a Jesuit school in Vienna, and had apparitions when he was only 15 years old. He wanted to join the Jesuits, against his parents’ wishes, and ran away from home. He arrived in Rome, and in 1567 he was accepted into the novitiate. He took his first vows less than a year later, but died soon afterwards of malaria. He was beatified in 1602, and canonised in 1726. Stanislaus Kostka is considered to be a patron saint of Poland, youth and students.

Text author Dalia Vasiliūnienė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album HEAVEN AND BEYOND (2016). Compiler Dalia Vasiliūnienė. Text authors Dalia Vasiliūnienė, Skaidrė Urbonienė
Expositions: “Heaven and Beyond. Works of religious art from the collection of Rolandas Valiūnas and the law firm Valiunas Ellex“, 31 May–24 September 2016, Church Heritage Museum, Vilnius (curators Dalia Vasiliūnienė, Skaidrė Urbonienė)

This picture of a young man by Łucja Bałzukiewiczówna (1887–1976), an artist from Vilnius, is based on the principles of Renaissance portraiture: the face, above a white collar, and the hands folded in prayer are lit up against a dark background. The intense look is directed at the viewer.

It depicts the Jesuit saint Stanislaus Kostka (1550–1568), whose short life was marked by humility and a desire to serve God. He was born into a Polish noble family, went to a Jesuit school in Vienna, and had apparitions when he was only 15 years old. He wanted to join the Jesuits, against his parents’ wishes, and ran away from home. He arrived in Rome, and in 1567 he was accepted into the novitiate. He took his first vows less than a year later, but died soon afterwards of malaria. He was beatified in 1602, and canonised in 1726. Stanislaus Kostka is considered to be a patron saint of Poland, youth and students.

Text author Dalia Vasiliūnienė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album HEAVEN AND BEYOND (2016). Compiler Dalia Vasiliūnienė. Text authors Dalia Vasiliūnienė, Skaidrė Urbonienė
Expositions: “Heaven and Beyond. Works of religious art from the collection of Rolandas Valiūnas and the law firm Valiunas Ellex“, 31 May–24 September 2016, Church Heritage Museum, Vilnius (curators Dalia Vasiliūnienė, Skaidrė Urbonienė)