Vilnius, M. Gorkio Street

Jonas Kuzminskis (1906–1985) studied graphic art at Kaunas School of Art. He taught at Vilnius Academy of Art between 1941 and 1943, and was a lecturer there from 1945. He later became a professor, and headed the Department of Graphic Art. He was very proficient at making woodcuts. During the war and in the postwar period, he became interested in architectural townscapes of Vilnius. In 1957 he made a woodcut of the view of Didžioji Street from the Town Hall, which was renamed M. Gorkio Street after the war, after the Russian writer Maxim Gorky. The picture reflects the new Soviet way of life: the square is adorned by a flowerbed, and the optimism is indicated by Pobeda cars as a sign of the times. Kuzminskis’ work is characterised by a combination of realistic and primitive forms of expression: the people are shown in a slightly naive way, and the engraving is rich in detail. The sky plays an important role: the clouds are scenic and decorative, and their dark and heavy gathering inserts a certain dissonance into the optimistic content.

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

Jonas Kuzminskis (1906–1985) studied graphic art at Kaunas School of Art. He taught at Vilnius Academy of Art between 1941 and 1943, and was a lecturer there from 1945. He later became a professor, and headed the Department of Graphic Art. He was very proficient at making woodcuts. During the war and in the postwar period, he became interested in architectural townscapes of Vilnius. In 1957 he made a woodcut of the view of Didžioji Street from the Town Hall, which was renamed M. Gorkio Street after the war, after the Russian writer Maxim Gorky. The picture reflects the new Soviet way of life: the square is adorned by a flowerbed, and the optimism is indicated by Pobeda cars as a sign of the times. Kuzminskis’ work is characterised by a combination of realistic and primitive forms of expression: the people are shown in a slightly naive way, and the engraving is rich in detail. The sky plays an important role: the clouds are scenic and decorative, and their dark and heavy gathering inserts a certain dissonance into the optimistic content.

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