Information
Flemish and Dutch paintings from the late sixteenth to eighteenth centuries comprise a small but significant part of the collections of the M.K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art. Most of the artworks come from the Old Master art collections that adorned the manors of the dukes Oginski, the counts Tyszkiewicz, Tyzenhauz, Przezdziecki, the barons Von der Ropp, and other famous Lithuanian families. In addition, a superb, valuable addition to the collection was donated by the collector and art patron Mykolas Žilinskas (1904–1992).
Flemish art of the late sixteenth and eighteenth centuries is represented by paintings attributed to masters including Peter Paul Rubens and Jacob Jordaens, as well as by less famous but highly talented artists such as Lucas van Valckenborch, Theodoor Rombouts, and Jan Baptist Lambrechts. Dutch art is represented by religious compositions by Cornelis Ketel, David de Haen, and Leonaert Bramer, genre pieces by Abraham de Pape and Louis de Moni, and landscapes by artists including Esaias van de Velde and Jan Wynants.
The museum also has almost 200 Belgian artworks from the early twentieth century: paintings, prints, sculptures, medals, and plaques. Most were donated by the artists themselves after the Exhibition of Contemporary Belgian Art held at the museum in 1936, while others were purchased by the museum.
The most valuable and interesting works in these collections make up the nucleus of the permanent exhibition at M. Žilinskas Art Gallery, which is currently closed for renovation (until 2027).
Irmantė Šarakauskienė, Curator of foreign art collections (December 2023)