Antanas Žmuidzinavičius
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Antanas Žmuidzinavičius (, 31 October 1876 – 9 August 1966) was a Lithuanian painter and art collector. Educated at the Veiveriai Teachers' Seminary, Žmuidzinavičius worked as a teacher while pursuing art education in the evenings in
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
. He further studied at the
Académie Colarossi The Académie Colarossi (1870–1930) was an art school in Paris founded in 1870 by the Italian model and sculptor Filippo Colarossi. It was originally located on the Île de la Cité, and it moved in 1879 to 10 rue de la Grande-Chaumière in the ...
and Académie Vitti in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. In 1906, he returned to Lithuania and organized the First Exhibition of Lithuanian Art and the
Lithuanian Art Society The Lithuanian Art Society () was a society that organized Lithuanian art exhibitions and supported Lithuanian artists. Based in Vilnius (then part of the Russian Empire), it was active from 1907 until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It was ...
which he chaired. He also established the Vilnius Art Society which united artists of different nationalities. In 1908–1909 and 1921–1924, he toured western Europe and the United States. In 1919–1921 and 1924–1966, he lived and worked in
Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...
. He worked to collect, preserve, and properly exhibit works of
Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (; – ) was a Lithuanian composer, painter, choirmaster, cultural figure, and writer in Polish. Čiurlionis contributed to symbolism and Art Nouveau, and was representative of the fin de siècle epoch. ...
as well as to establish the
Vytautas the Great War Museum The Vytautas the Great War Museum () is a museum in Kaunas, Lithuania. It was built in Art Deco and early functionalism style. Originally it was established in 1921 by Vladas Nagevičius but later it was decided to move to a larger location. A ...
. He participated in the
Lithuanian Wars of Independence The Lithuanian Wars of Independence, also known as the Freedom Struggles (), refer to three wars Lithuania fought defending its independence at the end of World War I: with Bolshevik forces (December 1918 – August 1919), Bermontians (October ...
and was a founding member of the
Lithuanian Riflemen's Union The Lithuanian Riflemen's Union (LRU, ), also referred to as Šauliai (''the Riflemen''; from for ''rifleman''), is a paramilitary organization supported by the Government of Lithuania and regulated by the dedicated law. It is active in three ...
. He was chairman of the Riflemen's Union as well as chief editor of its magazine '' Trimitas'' from 1929 until 1934. Žmuidzinavičius taught drawing at the Kaunas Art School (renamed to Kaunas Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts in 1941 and State Art Institute of Lithuania in 1951) in 1926–1953 and at the Kaunas Polytechnic Institute in 1953–1966. He was recognized as the People's Painter of the USSR in 1957. Žmuidzinavičius created more than 2,000 pieces of art and is best known for his landscapes that create a sense of longing. He also created portraits of famous people, scenes of everyday life, religious imagery. He also helped design the modern flag of Lithuania, created a version of the
coat of arms of Lithuania The coat of arms of Lithuania features an armoured knight on horseback, wielding a sword and carrying a shield with a Jagiellonian cross. This emblem is known as ''Vytis'' (). Since the early 15th century, it has served as the official coat of ...
that was widely used during the interwar period, designed postage stamps and Lithuanian currency banknotes. Žmuidzinavičius was an avid collector. He donated his collections to the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum in 1961 which opened the
Žmuidzinavičius Museum Žmuidzinavičius Museum (), also known as the Devil Museum (''Velnių muziejus''), is a museum in Kaunas, Lithuania, dedicated to collecting and exhibiting sculptures and carvings of devils from all over the world. The museum is a part of M. K. ...
in his former home in 1966. His collection of devils outgrew the museum and was moved to the dedicated annexe in 1982. Two other small museums are dedicated to him in Seirijai where he was born and in where he grew up.


Biography


Before World War I

Žmuidzinavičius was born in Seirijai, then part of
Congress Poland Congress Poland or Congress Kingdom of Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It was established w ...
, a client state of the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
, in 1876. After less than two years, his parents bought a farm and moved to near
Alytus Alytus () is a city with Town privileges, municipal rights in southern Lithuania. It is the List of cities in Lithuania, sixth-largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, 14th-largest city in the Baltic ...
. His father participated in the
Uprising of 1863 The January Uprising was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at putting an end to Russian occupation of part of Poland and regaining independence. It began on 22 January 1863 and continued until the last in ...
and served a prison sentence in the
Sejny Sejny (; ) is a town in north-eastern Poland and the capital of Sejny County, in Podlaskie Voivodeship, close to the northern border with Lithuania and Belarus. It is located in the eastern part of the Suwałki Lake Area (), on the Marycha river ...
prison. His parents had eleven children, but only two daughters and three sons reached adulthood. In 1890–1894, he studied at the Veiveriai Teachers' Seminary. After the graduation, he taught at Polish rural schools in Zawady and Waniewo. There he started drawing with pencils and writing his first poetry in Polish and Lithuanian. In 1899, he managed to get a transfer to
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
. He continued to work as a teacher while studying painting at private courses of
Wojciech Gerson Wojciech Gerson (; 1 July 1831 – 25 February 1901) was a Polish painter, educator, architect and art critic who was one of the foremost representatives of the Polish school of Realism during the foreign Partitions of Poland. He served as long ...
as well as an evening art school (director Evgeny Alexandrovich Zolotarev). Žmuidzinavičius' works were first exhibited at the gallery of in 1902 and at the Zachęta gallery in 1904. He also established contacts with other Lithuanian artists in Warsaw, including
Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (; – ) was a Lithuanian composer, painter, choirmaster, cultural figure, and writer in Polish. Čiurlionis contributed to symbolism and Art Nouveau, and was representative of the fin de siècle epoch. ...
and
Petras Rimša Petras Rimša (, 3 November 1881 in Naudžiai, Vilkaviškis district – 2 October 1961 in Kaunas) was one of the first professional Lithuanian sculptors and medalists. Biography Rimša was born to a family of farmers in Suvalkija, which was then ...
. In 1903, he passed the examinations at the
Imperial Academy of Arts The Imperial Academy of Arts, informally known as the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts, was an art academy in Saint Petersburg, founded in 1757 by Ivan Shuvalov, the founder of the Imperial Moscow University, under the name ''Academy of th ...
to become a high school art teacher and obtained a better job at a gymnasium. However, he continued to pursue education and departed to Paris in December 1904. He studied at the
Académie Colarossi The Académie Colarossi (1870–1930) was an art school in Paris founded in 1870 by the Italian model and sculptor Filippo Colarossi. It was originally located on the Île de la Cité, and it moved in 1879 to 10 rue de la Grande-Chaumière in the ...
and Académie Vitti as well as at the study of Hermenegildo Anglada Camarasa. He also joined a small Lithuanian student group chaired by his future wife odontologist Marija Putvinskaitė. They married on 10 October 1909 in a ceremony officiated by
Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas Juozas Tumas also known by the pen name Vaižgantas (20 September 1869 – 29 April 1933) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest and an activist during the Lithuanian National Revival. He was a prolific writer, editor of nine periodicals, universi ...
and witnessed by
Jonas Basanavičius Jonas Basanavičius (, ; 23 November 1851 – 16 February 1927) was an activist and proponent of the Lithuanian National Revival. He participated in every major event leading to the independent Lithuanian state and is often given the informal hon ...
and Ona Vileišienė, wife of
Petras Vileišis Petras Vileišis (; 25 January 1851 – 12 August 1926) was a prominent Lithuanian engineer specializing in the construction of railroad bridges. He was very active in Lithuanian public life and together with his brothers Jonas Vileišis, Jonas ...
. In 1906, he returned to Lithuania and settled in
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
. In November 1906, he played the role of '' krivių krivaitis'' (chief pagan priest) Lizdeika in the first Lithuanian opera ''Birutė'' staged bye the Kanklės of Vilnius Society. Together with others, he organized the First Exhibition of Lithuanian Art at the
Vileišis Palace Vileišis Palace is a Neo-baroque style architectural ensemble in Vilnius, Lithuania, built for Petras Vileišis. Vileišis was a prominent Lithuanian engineer, political activist, publisher, and philanthropist who commissioned the palace in ...
and was later elected chairman of the
Lithuanian Art Society The Lithuanian Art Society () was a society that organized Lithuanian art exhibitions and supported Lithuanian artists. Based in Vilnius (then part of the Russian Empire), it was active from 1907 until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It was ...
. In 1908, he established the Vilnius Art Society which was joined by Polish, Russian, and Jewish artists, including
Marianne von Werefkin Marianne von Werefkin (born Marianna Vladimirovna Veryovkina; , ; – 6 February 1938) was a Russian artist, whose work is celebrated as a central part of German Expressionism. Life and career In Russia 1860–1896 Werefkin was born to ...
, , , Ber Zalkind, Lev Antokolski (1872–1942), Ivan Rybakov (1870–1942). In 1908, he went on a tour of Western Europe (
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
,
Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
,
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
,
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
,
Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
) and United States. He continued to study art, visit museums and galleries, and paint. In Munich, he lived for four months with Petras Kalpokas. In the United States, he delivered lectures on Lithuanian art and history to various communities of
Lithuanian Americans Lithuanian Americans refer to American citizens and residents of Lithuanian descent or were born in Lithuania. New Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has the largest percentage of Lithuanian Americans (20.8%) in its population in the United States. ...
and collected funds for the planned National House by the Lithuanian Scientific Society. In Chicago, he created backdrops for the local Lithuanian theatres. Upon his return to Lithuania, Žmuidzinavičius worked to collect and exhibit works of
Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (; – ) was a Lithuanian composer, painter, choirmaster, cultural figure, and writer in Polish. Čiurlionis contributed to symbolism and Art Nouveau, and was representative of the fin de siècle epoch. ...
who died of
pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
in 1911. In 1912, he studied
fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
painting in
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
. In May 1914, Žmuidzinavičius together with zoologist Tadas Ivanauskas traveled to the
White Sea The White Sea (; Karelian language, Karelian and ; ) is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the nort ...
and painted arctic landscapes.


Interwar

During World War I, Žmuidzinavičius worked as a teacher at the newly established Lithuanian courses for teachers and Lithuanian gymnasium. In 1917, he worked at ''
Lietuvos aidas ''Lietuvos aidas'' (literally: ''Echo of Lithuania'') is a daily newspaper in Lithuania. It was established on September 6, 1917, by Antanas Smetona, and became the semi-official voice of the newly formed Lithuanian government. When the government ...
'' and helped organize Vilnius Conference (designed tickets, decorated the meeting hall, etc.). When Soviets captured Vilnius at the start of the
Lithuanian–Soviet War The Lithuanian–Soviet War or Lithuanian–Bolshevik War () was fought between newly independent Lithuania and the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic in the aftermath of World War I. It was part of the larger Soviet westward offensiv ...
in December 1918, Žmuidzinavičius established a commission that sought to collect and safeguard artworks in the city. In 1919–1921 and 1924–1966, he lived and worked in
Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...
. He recruited men to the
Lithuanian Army The Lithuanian Armed Forces () are the military of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Forces, the Lithuanian Navy, the Lithuanian Air Force and the Lithuanian Special Operations Force. In wartime, the Lithuan ...
during the Lithuanian War of Independence and was a founding member of the
Lithuanian Riflemen's Union The Lithuanian Riflemen's Union (LRU, ), also referred to as Šauliai (''the Riflemen''; from for ''rifleman''), is a paramilitary organization supported by the Government of Lithuania and regulated by the dedicated law. It is active in three ...
. He participated in Lithuanian defence against Poland during the
Żeligowski's Mutiny Żeligowski's Mutiny (, also , ) was a Polish false flag operation led by General Lucjan Żeligowski in October 1920, which resulted in the creation of the Republic of Central Lithuania. Józef Piłsudski, the Chief of State of Poland, surreptit ...
and was captured near but managed to escape after three days. He continued to care after the works of
Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (; – ) was a Lithuanian composer, painter, choirmaster, cultural figure, and writer in Polish. Čiurlionis contributed to symbolism and Art Nouveau, and was representative of the fin de siècle epoch. ...
and worked to organize a museum to house them. In February 1921, together with
Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas Juozas Tumas also known by the pen name Vaižgantas (20 September 1869 – 29 April 1933) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest and an activist during the Lithuanian National Revival. He was a prolific writer, editor of nine periodicals, universi ...
he was tasked with the establishment of the
Vytautas the Great War Museum The Vytautas the Great War Museum () is a museum in Kaunas, Lithuania. It was built in Art Deco and early functionalism style. Originally it was established in 1921 by Vladas Nagevičius but later it was decided to move to a larger location. A ...
. In July 1921, Žmuidzinavičius departed towards the United States but due to delays in getting appropriate travel documents, he reached the U.S. only in February 1922. The goal of the journey was to raise funds for the Lithuanian Riflemen and establish chapters of the union in various communities of
Lithuanian Americans Lithuanian Americans refer to American citizens and residents of Lithuanian descent or were born in Lithuania. New Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has the largest percentage of Lithuanian Americans (20.8%) in its population in the United States. ...
. Žmuidzinavičius organized about 200 meetings and lectures but Lithuanian Americans showed little interest in joining the Riflemen's Union. Due to the economic depression of 1920–1921 and competition from other organizations for the donations, the journey was not a financial success. He stopped representing the Riflemen's Union in November 1923 but remained in the United States until mid-1924 to pursue his artistic interests. He organized art exhibitions in Washington, DC and Chicago. Together with Aleksandras Račkus, he travelled across the western United States and exhibited works completed during the journey in New York. Upon his return, Žmuidzinavičius faced criticism of his handling of the collected funds. General submitted an official complaint to the
Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
in 1931. The unofficial investigation concluded only in 1936 and found that the funds were collected chaotically and haphazardly but did not find any evidence of misappropriation of the funds. Between 1926 and 1953, Žmuidzinavičius taught drawing at the Kaunas Art School (renamed to Kaunas Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts in 1941 and State Art Institute of Lithuania in 1951). In 1926–1928, he was chairman of the revived
Lithuanian Art Society The Lithuanian Art Society () was a society that organized Lithuanian art exhibitions and supported Lithuanian artists. Based in Vilnius (then part of the Russian Empire), it was active from 1907 until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It was ...
. In 1929, after the death of his brother-in-law Vladas Putvinskis, he became chairman of the
Lithuanian Riflemen's Union The Lithuanian Riflemen's Union (LRU, ), also referred to as Šauliai (''the Riflemen''; from for ''rifleman''), is a paramilitary organization supported by the Government of Lithuania and regulated by the dedicated law. It is active in three ...
as well as chief editor of its magazine '' Trimitas''. He resigned in November 1934. During his tenure, Žmuidzinavičius did not call the required annual meetings that were empowered to elect the new chairman and board. Overall, his tenure was criticized for poor financial management and bookkeeping irregularities as well as
nepotism Nepotism is the act of granting an In-group favoritism, advantage, privilege, or position to Kinship, relatives in an occupation or field. These fields can include business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, religion or health care. In ...
(his wife was the chair, the niece was the vice-chair, and sister-in-law was honorary chair of the women's section). His resignation was likely a result of a government investigation and impending military reforms initiated by
Stasys Raštikis Stasys Raštikis (September 13, 1896 – May 3, 1985) was a Lithuanian military officer, ultimately obtaining the rank of divisional general. He was Chief of Defence (Lithuania), the commander of the Lithuanian Army from September 21, 1934, to Apr ...
that militarized the union and subordinated it to the military. He was one of the founding members of the Lithuanian Artists' Association and briefly served as its chairman in 1940.


After World War II

Unlike many other members of the Lithuanian
intelligentsia The intelligentsia is a status class composed of the university-educated people of a society who engage in the complex mental labours by which they critique, shape, and lead in the politics, policies, and culture of their society; as such, the i ...
and Lithuanian Riflemen, Žmuidzinavičius was not repressed by the Soviet regime. His nephews-in-law Stasys Putvinskis (former Minister of Agriculture) and Vytautas Putvinskis died in Soviet prisons. Vytautas' mother, wife, and four children were deported to Ust-Lokchim. By 1945, only two children remained alive. With the help of Žmuidzinavičius, the two orphans were returned to Lithuania in November 1945. Žmuidzinavičius took in his grand-nephew Algis Pūtvis. Žmuidzinavičius was recognized as a Honored Artist of the Lithuanian SSR in 1946 and as the People's Artist of the Lithuanian SSR in 1954 and of the Soviet Union in 1957. In 1947, Žmuidzinavičius was awarded the academic title of
professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...
. He taught at the Kaunas Polytechnic Institute in 1953–1966. In 1958, he became a corresponding member of the Academy of Arts of the Soviet Union. In 1959–1963, he was elected to the
Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR The Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR (; , ''Verkhovnyy Sovet Litovskoy SSR'') was the supreme soviet (main legislative institution) of the Lithuanian SSR, one of the republics constituting the Soviet Union. The Supreme Soviet was established ...
, a rubber-stamp institution of the
Lithuanian Communist Party The Communist Party of Lithuania (; ) is a banned communist party in Lithuania. The party was established in early October 1918 and operated clandestinely until it was legalized in 1940 after the Soviet invasion and occupation. The party was ...
. Žmuidzinavičius died in
Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...
in 1966 and was buried in the
Petrašiūnai Cemetery Petrašiūnai Cemetery () is Lithuania's premiere last resting place formally designated for graves of people influential in national history, politics, arts, and science. Location Petrašiūnai Cemetery is located about south-east of the cent ...
.


Works


Paintings

Žmuidzinavičius created more than 2,000 pieces of art, mostly oil paintings of landscapes but also portraits of famous people, scenes of everyday life, religious imagery. His paintings usually depict idealized and stylized nature scenes that create a melancholic mood and convey a particular longing. The main colors are soft, warm, and earthy. He conveys not only the beauty of nature but also the love and pride for his homeland. His paintings often depicted typical Lithuanian landscapes – shores of the
Neman River Neman, Nemunas or Niemen is a river in Europe that rises in central Belarus and flows through Lithuania then forms Lithuania–Russia border, the northern border of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia's western exclave, which specifically follows its s ...
, amber dunes of the
Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...
, hills of
Samogitia Samogitia, often known by its Lithuanian language, Lithuanian name ''Žemaitija'' (Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Žemaitėjė''; see Samogitia#Etymology and alternative names, below for alternative and historical names) is one of the five ...
, forests of
Dzūkija Dzūkija () or Dainava is one of five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. Dzūkija is a cultural region defined by traditional lifestyles and dialects of the local Lithuanian population (mostly rural farmers) and has never been defined as a poli ...
, lakes of
Aukštaitija Aukštaitija (; literally ''Highland'' or ''Upland'') is the name of one of five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. The name comes from the fact that the lands are in the upper basin of the Nemunas, as opposed to the Lowlands that begin from Š ...
, grain fields, or cozy and intimate corners of nature (e.g. lonely trees). Overall, Žmuidzinavičius' art has features of
romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...
(interwar period) and realism (post-war period). He represented
academism Academic art, academicism, or academism, is a style of painting and sculpture produced under the influence of European academies of art. This method extended its influence throughout the Western world over several centuries, from its origins ...
and rejected
modernist Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...
experimentations. He also created posters and book illustrations. His works are kept by various museums, including the Lithuanian National Museum of Art,
Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore The Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore () is a scientific institution in Lithuania. It conducts research in Lithuanian literature and folklore. It resides in the former Vileišis Palace in Antakalnis district of Vilnius.
,
Vytautas the Great War Museum The Vytautas the Great War Museum () is a museum in Kaunas, Lithuania. It was built in Art Deco and early functionalism style. Originally it was established in 1921 by Vladas Nagevičius but later it was decided to move to a larger location. A ...
,
Tretyakov Gallery The State Tretyakov Gallery (; abbreviated ГТГ, ''GTG'') is an art gallery in Moscow, Russia, which is considered the foremost depository of Russian fine art in the world. The gallery's history starts in 1856 when the Muscovite merchant Pavel ...
in Moscow, and
Moscow State University Moscow State University (MSU), officially M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University,. is a public university, public research university in Moscow, Russia. The university includes 15 research institutes, 43 faculties, more than 300 departments, a ...
. catalogs of his exhibitions were published in 1956, 1957, and 1963. Albums of his artwork were published in 1966 and 1977 (paintings) as well as in 1987 (
bookplate An , also known as a bookplate (or book-plate, as it was commonly styled until the early 20th century), is a printed or decorative label pasted into a book, often on the front endpaper, to indicate ownership. Simple typographical bookplates are ...
s). His paintings are regularly sold at art auctions. His most expensive painting ''Dzūkų kaimelis'' (Village of Dzūkai) was sold for 53,000
euros The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the ...
at Vilnius Auction in 2013. It is a well-known painting that is frequently added to various albums of Lithuanian art and was originally acquired by
Pranas Mašiotas Pranas Mašiotas (1863–1940) was a Lithuanian activist and educator best known as children's writer and translator. Born in Suvalkija to a family of Lithuanian farmers, Mašiotas attended Marijampolė Gymnasium and studied mathematics at Mosc ...
in 1910.


Design

Žmuidzinavičius participated in the creation of the modern Flag of Lithuania. He prepared green-red flag which decorated the halls during the Vilnius Conference in 1917. However, the delegates found such flag too dark and gloomy and Tadas Daugirdas proposed adding a yellow strip. The
Council of Lithuania In the history of Lithuania, the Council of Lithuania (; ; ), after July 11, 1918, the State Council of Lithuania () was convened at the Vilnius Conference that took place between 18 and 23 September 1917. The twenty men who composed the c ...
created a special three-member (Žmuidzinavičius, Daugirdas, and
Jonas Basanavičius Jonas Basanavičius (, ; 23 November 1851 – 16 February 1927) was an activist and proponent of the Lithuanian National Revival. He participated in every major event leading to the independent Lithuanian state and is often given the informal hon ...
) commission to come up with the final flag design which was submitted on 19 April 1918. The proposed tricolor yellow-green-red was adopted and is in use today. Žmuidzinavičius also created a version of the
coat of arms of Lithuania The coat of arms of Lithuania features an armoured knight on horseback, wielding a sword and carrying a shield with a Jagiellonian cross. This emblem is known as ''Vytis'' (). Since the early 15th century, it has served as the official coat of ...
which was popular in interwar Lithuania (no design was chosen as the official version by the government). His version was based on the work of and depicted the knight diagonally giving the impression that it is flying. Žmuidzinavičius disregarded traditional colors and chose dark-toned shadows. Žmuidzinavičius also created some symbolic paintings with the rider from the coat of arms. In 1919, Žmuidzinavičius participated in the plans to launch the national currency to replace the ostmark and ostrubel. He created drafts of the new banknotes (called ''muštinis'') and travelled to Sweden to negotiate the printing, but the plans were abandoned. Instead, Lithuania introduced the gold-backed
Lithuanian litas The Lithuanian litas (ISO 4217, ISO currency code LTL, symbolized as Lt; plural ''litai'' (nominative) or ''litų'' (genitive) was the currency of Lithuania, until 1 January 2015, when it was replaced by the euro. It was divided into 100 Cent ...
in 1922. It is very likely that Žmuidzinavičius participated in the design of the first litas banknotes as they bear the coat of arms of Lithuania that is very similar to Žmuidzinavičius' version. In 1927, Lithuania redesigned litas banknotes and Žmuidzinavičius was asked to design the 10 litas banknotes that would depict a Lithuanian village. He based his design on a photo by of his brother sowing grain in spring. In addition, Žmuidzinavičius created 32 postage stamps and designed the first hats and badges for the
Lithuanian Army The Lithuanian Armed Forces () are the military of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Forces, the Lithuanian Navy, the Lithuanian Air Force and the Lithuanian Special Operations Force. In wartime, the Lithuan ...
. He also designed the emblem ( Cross of Vytis in a shield) of the
Lithuanian Riflemen's Union The Lithuanian Riflemen's Union (LRU, ), also referred to as Šauliai (''the Riflemen''; from for ''rifleman''), is a paramilitary organization supported by the Government of Lithuania and regulated by the dedicated law. It is active in three ...
.


Collections

Žmuidzinavičius was also known as an avid collector. He collected various items related to Lithuanian art and culture. In particular, he collected examples of Lithuanian folk art – clay whistles, Lithuanian sashes, aprons, knitted items, wood carvings. He also collected paintings, sculptures, graphic works, musical instruments as well as letters, photos, publications. In 1961, Žmuidzinavičius gifted his collections to the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum. The collection of devil figurines reportedly started from a devil gifted by
Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas Juozas Tumas also known by the pen name Vaižgantas (20 September 1869 – 29 April 1933) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest and an activist during the Lithuanian National Revival. He was a prolific writer, editor of nine periodicals, universi ...
.


Publications

During his life, Žmuidzinavičius published several books. Using pen name Antanas Žemaitis (his surname is derived from Polish word ''Żmudź'' which means ''Žemaitis'' or ''
Samogitia Samogitia, often known by its Lithuanian language, Lithuanian name ''Žemaitija'' (Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Žemaitėjė''; see Samogitia#Etymology and alternative names, below for alternative and historical names) is one of the five ...
n''), he published a collection of essays ''Lietuvos keliais'' (On Lithuanian Roads, 1921) and of poems ''Gyvenimo takais'' (On Life's Paths, 1930). He also published two books of memoirs: ''Priešui ir tėvynei'' (For the Enemy and the Homeland) about his activities during the
Lithuanian Wars of Independence The Lithuanian Wars of Independence, also known as the Freedom Struggles (), refer to three wars Lithuania fought defending its independence at the end of World War I: with Bolshevik forces (December 1918 – August 1919), Bermontians (October ...
in 1931 and ''Peletė ir gyvenimas'' (Palette and Life) about his life and career in 1961.


Legacy

Žmuidzinavičius Museum Žmuidzinavičius Museum (), also known as the Devil Museum (''Velnių muziejus''), is a museum in Kaunas, Lithuania, dedicated to collecting and exhibiting sculptures and carvings of devils from all over the world. The museum is a part of M. K. ...
, a branch of the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum, was established in his former home in Kaunas in February 1966. The house, designed by architect
Vytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis Vytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis (10 March 1893 – 21 May 1993) was a Lithuanian architect most active in interwar Lithuania (1926–1939). He was the father of Vytautas Landsbergis, the first Lithuanian head of state after independence from th ...
, was built in 1928 and expanded in 1938 by adding the third floor. The first floor was rented out (for a time it was a Swedish consulate where writer worked), the second floor was the living quarters of the family, and the third floor was the art studio. The house was one of the 44 modernist interwar buildings that received the
European Heritage Label The European Heritage Label is a recognition awarded by the European Union to buildings, documents, museums, archives, monuments, and events which are seen as milestones in the creation of today's Europe. The program is managed by the European Com ...
in 2015. The memorial museum displays authentic interwar décor, Žmuidzinavičius' paintings and collections, and various archival items. At that the time of the museum's opening, it had a collection of about 260 statues of the devil. The collection steadily grew due to international donations and was moved to a newly constructed three-floor annexe in 1982. The annexe, known as the Devils' Museum, now houses more than 3,000 devil-themed exhibits from more than 70 countries. An album of the devils' collection was published in 1967 and 1973. The house in where Žmuidzinavičius grew up was turned into a memorial museum in 1982 by his nephew the theatre historian . The museum displays restored furniture, photos, paintings, and other material related to the family. Until 2017, the museum organized an annual amateur theatre festival. The house where Žmuidzinavičius was born in Seirijai was demolished in 1938 but its location is marked by a tall memorial stone erected in 1976. In 1986, a room-museum dedicated to Žmuidzinavičius was opened at the high school in Seirijai. The school was renamed in his honor in 1989. In 1949–1966, Žmuidzinavičius spent summer vacations in a wooden villa in
Palanga Palanga (; ; ) is a resort town, resort city in western Lithuania, on the shore of the Baltic Sea. Palanga is the busiest and the largest summer resort in Lithuania and has sand, sandy beaches (18 km, 11 miles long and up to 300 metres, 10 ...
. The house, built by Graf , was added to the Lithuanian Registry of Cultural Heritage in 1993. Streets in
Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...
,
Alytus Alytus () is a city with Town privileges, municipal rights in southern Lithuania. It is the List of cities in Lithuania, sixth-largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, 14th-largest city in the Baltic ...
, Seirijai, , and Balkūnai are named after Žmuidzinavičius.


Awards

Žmuidzinavičius received the following awards: *1928:
Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas The Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas is the Lithuanian Presidential Award which was re-instituted to honour the citizens of Lithuania for outstanding performance in civil and public offices. Foreign nationals may also be awarded this O ...
(3rd class) *1931: Riflemen's Star *1932:
Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars () is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is ''Per aspera ad astra'', meaning "Through hardships towards the ...
*1936:
Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas The Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas is the Lithuanian Presidential Award which was re-instituted to honour the citizens of Lithuania for outstanding performance in civil and public offices. Foreign nationals may also be awarded this O ...
(2nd class) *1946: Honored Artist of the Lithuanian SSR *1954: People's Artist of the Lithuanian SSR *1957:
People's Artist of the Soviet Union People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union. The term is confusingly used to translate two Russian language titles: Народный арти ...


References


External links


A. Žmuidzinavičius Creations and Collections Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zmuidzinavicius, Antanas 1876 births 1966 deaths 20th-century Lithuanian painters Academic staff of the Kaunas University of Technology Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic People's Artists of the USSR (visual arts) Recipients of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Lithuanian landscape painters Painters from the Russian Empire Lithuanian art collectors Lithuanian educators 19th-century Lithuanian illustrators 20th-century Lithuanian illustrators Lithuanian portrait painters Soviet art collectors Soviet educators Soviet illustrators Soviet painters Burials at Petrašiūnai Cemetery Lithuanian magazine editors Lithuanian landscape painters