A side street in Vilnius

Bronisław Jamontt (1886–1957) had been interested in the Old Town in Vilnius since he was a gymnasium pupil in the early 20th century, and he remained faithful to the theme in his work. He studied painting in the Art Department at Stephen Báthory University in the 1920s, and was a lecturer there from 1931. He painted a detail of Gaono Street, trying to emphasise its age: the heavy walls, a corner decorated with a pilaster, the cobbled street with drains, the wooden pavements, and the small shops with shutters and painted signs. This is an early work, distinguished by its Art Nouveau lines. The narrow street is crooked, as are the walls of the houses, the drainpipe is bent, and the cobbles are uneven. The forms of the architecture reflect the curly clouds, and they defy the geometry of straight lines. Jamontt’s city rises up like a living, breathing creature.

Text author Laima Laučkaitė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album VILNIUS. TOPOPHILIA I (2014). Compiler and author Laima Laučkaitė, KAUNAS–VILNIUS / 1918–1945 (2021). Compilers and text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė
Expositions: “Vilnius. Topophilia. Views of Vilnius from the collection of the law firm Ellex Valiunas”, 5 October – 26 November 2017, National Gallery of Art, Vilnius (curator Laima Laučkaitė); "1918-1945 / Kaunas-Vilnius", 27 August 2020 – 21 August 2021, Lithuanian Art Centre TARTLE (Užupio St. 40, Vilnius). Curators Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė.

Bronisław Jamontt (1886–1957) had been interested in the Old Town in Vilnius since he was a gymnasium pupil in the early 20th century, and he remained faithful to the theme in his work. He studied painting in the Art Department at Stephen Báthory University in the 1920s, and was a lecturer there from 1931. He painted a detail of Gaono Street, trying to emphasise its age: the heavy walls, a corner decorated with a pilaster, the cobbled street with drains, the wooden pavements, and the small shops with shutters and painted signs. This is an early work, distinguished by its Art Nouveau lines. The narrow street is crooked, as are the walls of the houses, the drainpipe is bent, and the cobbles are uneven. The forms of the architecture reflect the curly clouds, and they defy the geometry of straight lines. Jamontt’s city rises up like a living, breathing creature.

Text author Laima Laučkaitė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album VILNIUS. TOPOPHILIA I (2014). Compiler and author Laima Laučkaitė, KAUNAS–VILNIUS / 1918–1945 (2021). Compilers and text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė
Expositions: “Vilnius. Topophilia. Views of Vilnius from the collection of the law firm Ellex Valiunas”, 5 October – 26 November 2017, National Gallery of Art, Vilnius (curator Laima Laučkaitė); "1918-1945 / Kaunas-Vilnius", 27 August 2020 – 21 August 2021, Lithuanian Art Centre TARTLE (Užupio St. 40, Vilnius). Curators Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė.