Laura Petrauskaitė (PDF)
https://doi.org/10.53631/DIS/2016.7.7
The strong influence of the theories of image anthropology, visual perception and reception could be noticed in criticism of Lithuanian art in the recent decade. This article examines the inappropriate wording of visually experienced works of art and their impact on the formation of the Lithuanian art canon. It is a case study of sculptures by Matas Menčinskas (1897–1942) and their interpretations in interwar Lithuania, the Soviet period and the first decade of the restored independence. The article shows that the image interpretations change and form their own ‘biography’ by travelling in time. However, the reception of images and verbal expressions is not always adequate. The ‘inadequacies’ observed between the image and the text allow for a better understanding of the process of the canonical Lithuanian art discourse and the agents and circumstances that developed this discourse. The entries on Matas Menčinskas are included in encyclopaedias, art histories and other important publications forming the art canon. In addition, his works are present in collections from three national museums. However, this is not enough for the artist to become a figure in national sculpture. He is perceived as a significant artist in the history of Lithuanian sculpture, but what makes his heritage valuable and important still has to be named. The case study reveals that as the Neo-traditionalist school of sculpture has become entrenched in Lithuanian art historiography, sculpture close to the trends of Expressionism and Symbolism has become marginal. With its dominant public commissions of monumental art, the meta-narrative failed to notice the sculptures created by Menčinskas for private interiors, without which the view of interwar Lithuanian art would never be full. The article discloses that every interpretation of sculptures by Menčinskas is an eloquent sign of time, witnessing the social expectations and needs prevalent in different epochs. It also highlights the power of art criticism to perform the functions of psychological compensation, manifestation of social position, etc.
Keywords: Lithuanian art, criticism, canon, reception, historiography