The university building

Izabela Borowska (1912–after 2006) studied painting in the Art Department of Stephen Báthory University under Ludomir Sleńdziński. She lived in Vilnius before the war, and participated actively in the artistic life of students, enjoying parties in Vilnius and Naujoji Vilnia (Nowa Wilejka). She was engaged to Andrzej Szamota, a lieutenant in the 13th regiment of lancers, who died in 1939, a week before they were due to be married. After the Second World War, Borowska left for Poland, and settled in Kielce, but she survived on her indelible memories of Vilnius. She painted this watercolour of Vilnius University when she was already living in Poland, probably from a photograph. This is suggested by the documentary precision in the way she conveyed the space, perspective, lighting and architectural details, without any signs of an individual style. Pictures based on secondary visual sources tell us much about the feelings and the nostalgic memories of those who left Vilnius after the war.

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album VILNIUS. TOPOPHILIA I (2014). Compiler and author Laima Laučkaitė

Izabela Borowska (1912–after 2006) studied painting in the Art Department of Stephen Báthory University under Ludomir Sleńdziński. She lived in Vilnius before the war, and participated actively in the artistic life of students, enjoying parties in Vilnius and Naujoji Vilnia (Nowa Wilejka). She was engaged to Andrzej Szamota, a lieutenant in the 13th regiment of lancers, who died in 1939, a week before they were due to be married. After the Second World War, Borowska left for Poland, and settled in Kielce, but she survived on her indelible memories of Vilnius. She painted this watercolour of Vilnius University when she was already living in Poland, probably from a photograph. This is suggested by the documentary precision in the way she conveyed the space, perspective, lighting and architectural details, without any signs of an individual style. Pictures based on secondary visual sources tell us much about the feelings and the nostalgic memories of those who left Vilnius after the war.

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album VILNIUS. TOPOPHILIA I (2014). Compiler and author Laima Laučkaitė