Vilnius citizens remembered him as a person of uncommon modesty and activity.

We would not say a lot by just stating he had a big artistic talent. Czeslaw Znamierowski had many talents, he was an all-round person. Wood-carving, architecture, carpentry, horticulture…He managed to approach everything independently and to achieve perfect quality in almost all things he tried his hand at.

He was remarkable for his unusual diligence; his short sleep was his only break. He used to be benign and generous.

When, for example the shiftless but undoubtedly gifted painter Piotr Siergijewicz was wandering in different places, constantly changing his work, it was Sir Czeslaw that gave him for permanent use /for free/ the heated parlour of his house. He did not even think he might become his competition. And later, when an acquaintance of his – a doctor - left for Warsaw,  he asked her to offer her home to Siergiejew for a specified or not specified period of time. As a result Piotr Siergijewicz became the owner of a 3-room furnished accommodation.

Did Znamierowski have any weaknesses? Yes, he did: pigeons and flowers. Wherever the waves of life were casting him, he always found the possibility of breeding pigeons. The beautiful birds were helping him preserve his mental equilibrium, serenity and peace of mind. Flying in the azure expanse, their outlines awoke his dreams and soaring creative imagination, and later he would recreate them in a wonderful harmony on the canvass. Flowers also accompanied Czeslaw through his whole life. Roses, asters, peonies, orchids, kalias, dahlias and dozens of other flower kinds were inseparable parts of the painter’s home surrounding in Antakalnis. The town authorities in Vilnius rewarded him many times with different prizes in aesthetical competitions. Sir Czeslaw had one more virtue: he never and nowhere drank alcohol. He used to say that when in his childhood he saw the hideousness of drunk people, he – a man inseparably connected with beauty – decisively discerned this aspect of ugliness.

And how love for art was generated in Znamierowski? Born (on May 23, 1890) on the border of Byelorussia and Latvia, in a property in Zacisze k/Lucyna, the young Czesiek established contact with nature “from the cradle”. He observed how the earth was dying under the snow, how the lively streams died out and froze, the bushes and the trees, so joyful just a while ago, were bristling their stubbles.

And during the spring everything came back to life, everything was covered with flower carpets, the birds’ warbling was floating in the air, an unrestrained sypmphony of life. The images of homeland nature, rich and constantly changing, arouse irresistible yearning in the boy to perpetuate this beauty on the canvass in the way he soon managed to see in the museums and art galleries.

Czeslaw’s dreams came true. He went to Petersburg under the guardianship of Lewitan and Rylow - masters of Russian painting. In Vilnius again his talent was influenced by Ruszczyc, from whom one could learn a lot.

Czeslaw Znamierowski’s art is realistic art. His favourite subjects became landscapes from his beloved homeland, local prototypes, people change – the artist reasoned. Those who used to be heroes yesterday are often downtrodden and forgotten today. And vice versa – yesterday’s “delinquents” are today’s heroes. Where is justice here and how to immortalize it on the canvass? ...

“While rivers and sea, mountains and forests, fields and flowers are always beautiful. Thence landscapes. And here on the canvass the yeasty Baltic sea, the silvery meanders of the river Wilenka, the azure of the lake and the endless sky come to life.

Today, in times full of unpredictable changes and events, the painting somewhat lost its rhythm, the stability of the beauty canons. New trends and foundations appeared, but the creative works of painters such as Czeslaw Znamierowski stay within the beauty circle of Italian, Spanish and Dutch master painters. He was not tempted by Cubism, Modernism, Symbolism or dozens of other quickly changing “genres”. He did not want to waste time.

From the beginning till the end of his life, Znamierowski invariably subjected to the eternal rules: art has to be beautiful – and – art has to be a real reflection of its environment in a specific period of time.  The exponents of such classical principles were just our contemporaries (alongside others) – Ferdynand Ruszczyc, Adomas Varnas, Ludomir Sledzinski, Czeslaw Znamierowski, Piotr Siergijewicz and the famous landscape-painter of Niesvizh, Michal Siewruk.

When for the first time I found myself at Znamierowski’s place, still in the antechamber I stopped as if dizzy, enchanted by his art. It seemed that I was surrounded by the works of old-time masters and new times. Colours, a lovely harmony between drawing, chiaroscuro, creative imagination, composition and perspective…The expressiveness of the first plan, the Vilnius hills dimmed in the distance, and the meadows, the Baltic sea waves and the yeasty river Wilenka. The portrait of the mother, how much warmth, deep wistfulness and worldly wisdom can be read in the eyes of the slightly leant head? ...So much philosophical peace and indulgence for those who could not avoid the human fallibility. This portrait becomes close and welcoming as if it is my own mother’s portrait… Forests and fields, seas and rivers, cities and hamlets – everything breathes life.

What a great psychologist and connoisseur of the human soul must have been the author of those gorgeous masterpieces!

Czeslaw Znamierowski’s art covers thousands of landscapes, portraits, architectural sites. His paintings are located in many museums and art galleries, they can be found abroad. Sir Czeslaw did not obey vanity, he was not looking for fame, but he was a painter of uncommon reputation.

If it comes to his social concept, an eloquent fact is that he was one of the founders of the Vilnius Association of the Independent Artists and Painters in 1931, where he was a vice-president and since 1933 – a president.

Here is what “Warsaw Courier “and “Vilnius Courier” wrote about Znamierowski’s art:

Znamierowski accurately observed the countryside soul. With a deep and transparent feeling he pictured the spring, the forest, the lake, the winter…

Czeslaw Znamierowski brings out the synthetic art which he nurses in Vilnius.

The rich value range is of various graduations… The more nature in the paintings of the artist, the more beautiful they are.

Znamierowski obtained diplomas and medals many times. He had exhibitions in Warsaw, Moscow, London and also beyond Europe, in America. His paintings were bought with willingness.

The active art creation was an inseparable partner of his whole life. He also organized individual expositions after the war, and a bit before he passed away he was granted the  title of “ an honoured worker of art”.

In regard to the technical side of his art, he most often used oils. But a lot of his works were done with crayons, charcoal, pencil.

Gintaras, Czeslaw Znamierowski’s grandson, is also a talented visual artist. Amazed, I was looking at some small landscapes, remarkable for the maturity of the composition colouring. I was happy that Czeslaw Znamierowski’s talent is inherited…

The essay on Czeslaw Znamierowski’s profile would not be complete if we don’t remind the integrity and comprehensiveness of his concepts. For him there were not any boundaries between nationalities. He readily made friends with the natives of any country, including Byelorussians, and the evidence for this was his sincere friendship with the above mentioned Piotr Siergijewicz and Michal Siewruk. He was not a stranger to Latvians, Lithuanians, Jews, Tatars, Karaites, Russians. He was ready to help everyone if possible.

Upon my request, here is how Sir Czeslaw’s daughter, Antonina Znamierowska, characterized her father:

He was very good, quiet and calm. He had various interests. He used to go on journeys and traveled a lot. In regard to talents, he could do anything.  His professional artistic vocation did not interfere with making for example all kinds of repairs, or in mending anything in our house. He used to make the frames for his paintings himself, he readily dealt with carpentry for which he had a special workshop. He carved wooden figurines for the garden and generally he performed all kinds of work. In 1941 the property of the Znamierowski family was nationalized, only the house was left to the family. A lot of objects and documentation were burnt, only some survived.

Did my father have a hobby?

Yes. He worshipped flowers and pigeons. He was taking care of the garden himself, he cared about dozens of kinds of roses and a lot of other different flowers. He loved to paint flowers and this was inherited from him by my brother Miroslaw. Gintaras, my nephew, seems to show love for the palette as well.

Czeslaw Znamierowski passed away in 1977. He was buried in the graveyard behind the church of St. Peter and Paul.

ZNAD WILII
1992.07.05 – 07.18

Translation: Translation Agency "ADJUTOR" (Vilnius, Lithuania)
Translated from: Polish
Originals:

RED BANNER
Year XIII, Nr. 119 (3730), SUNDAY 23 MAY 1965

THE OLDEST VISUAL
 ARTIST IN VILNIUS
IN CELEBRATION OF THE 75TH BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY OF CZESLAW ZNAMIEROWSKI

In Antakalnis there is a small house. In front of it there is a beautiful garden, which attracts everyone’s attention during the summer. Roses and tulips are blooming here, and rare kinds of dahlias, and many more different flowers the name of which I don’t even know. Every old Vilnius citizen knows that for almost 40 years now the plastic artist and painter Czeslaw Znamierowski lives here. He is a person unusually in love with the nature, its colours and beauty, a person who has devoted many years of his constructive life to reflect the beauty of nature. When you enter the artist’s atelier, you will see tens, even hundreds of bigger and smaller canvasses, hanging on the walls or simply placed on the easels. Most of them are landscapes, views. Here you can see everything – the beautiful, wrapped in legend spots of Vilnius, large fields, deep forests, powerful rivers and silent streams, the last beam of the setting sun and the morning dawn, an ice-bound river and a blooming branch in spring. The plastic artist tries to perpetuate on the canvass everything that awakes admiration and excitement, to pass it on to the people.

Czeslaw Znamierowski was born in Lithuania, on May 23, 1890 in the family of working intellectuals. After graduating from the high school in Daugavpils (Dzwinsk), the future artist could not take up the vocation for which he had natural talent. He occupied offices in different institutions, worked in offices and as a draftsman. And in only just five years he collected the necessary amount of money and headed to Petersburg in 1912. He started to study painting in the school of the Zacheta Society of Fine Arts and he spent there two years. Obviously this was not a big period of time, but admittedly it had a great impact on him as a future painter.

In 1917, after the revolution in February, Czeslaw Znamierowski went back to Lithuania. And when the Great October Revolution burst, he actively participated in the social and revolutionary works. The artist took part in the formation of the Soviet authority bodies, he was the leader of the Proletarian culture in Ludz district.

Since 1926 Czeslaw Znamierowski has been living in Vilnius. Here he finished his studies in the realm of arts, which he initiated in the Academy of Fine Arts in Petersburg. Intensively working in his creative field, the visual artist also took an active part in social life. Czeslaw Znamierowski was one of the organizers of the Independent Visual Artists Association in Vilnius, which did a good job in uniting the progressive artists and painters.

He already had a few exhibitions of his works. His canvasses were exposed many times in Lithuania and Poland, and they received many honorary diplomas and medals. In the earlier years of his creative life, Czeslaw Znamierowski painted a few big compositions with revolutionary themes. He also painted portraits. But later he entirely devoted his art to landscapes. This was closest to his heart. And exactly in this sphere he got his best results.

Cz. Znamierowski’s landscapes carry their individual and specific character. They are often remarkable for their lyrical and romantic mood. Every spot of nature, or an epic panorama the artist tries to recreate very meticulously, he tries to present suggestively the space, the perspective, every object. The artist is directed by his own concept of beauty of nature and represents it in the aspect in which he sees it, feels it and admires it.

His small landscape studies, which represent a considerable part of his plastic art works, are extremely beautiful. They delight with their temperament, energy, poetic optimism. The natural views in them are always very romantic, full of rich colours; painting approach – brave, active, lively. The good realistic traditions, which the artist truly preserves and develops in his constructive works, are particularly prominent.

 Cz. Znamierowski’s unusual diligence is one of his extraordinary virtues. For some 40 years the artist created above two thousand canvasses. His vigour and talent he devoted to painting. We will find many of his works not only in the museums and institutions of Lithuania, but also in Latvia, USA, Sweden, Germany, in private homes. Czeslaw Znamierowski’s creative work has been highly appreciated and his two honorary diplomas from the Supreme Presidium Committee of Lithuania SSR are evidence for that.

Today Czeslaw Znamierowski is turning 75 years. But yet, even reaching such an old age he does not intend to leave the palette.

We are happy that the artist sees his anniversary full of unexhausted creative energy and optimism.

W.ULOZA
Art Historian

Translation: Translation Agency "ADJUTOR" (Vilnius, Lithuania)
Translated from: Polish
Originals:

RED BANNER
Nr 136 (910), WEDNESDAY 13 APRIL 1956

An Art Exhibition of Georgian Artists in Vilnius

The tradition of organizing art exhibitions of individual republics on the territory of other federal republics is lovely. In the last years we have already had the opportunity to see a few such exhibitions in Vilnius. This time in the National Arts Museum in Vilnius, there are the works of plastic artists from the land of the mountains - Soviet Georgia. Shortly in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, there will take place an arts exhibition of plastic artists from Soviet Lithuania.

From a quantitative point of view the open exposition looks magnificent, however it does not make a better impression on the visitors may be exactly because of being overburdened. Instead, when arranging the exhibition a more precise selection would have been more applicable, so that except for the valuable works of art, it does not consist of paintings just on the edge of amateurship.

For example let’s compare “Future” painted by the brush of B.Sanakajew with the painting of Sz. Makaszwili “ Returning from the pasture”, or the painting of D. Gabotaszwili named “House in Gori” with W.Szarpilowa’s painting “The Great Master’s Brotherly Council”. “Future” possesses a deep and ideological content, it differs with perfect composition and drawing, in a masterful way, light and space are very realistically reproduced in the painting. On the other side, in the painting “Returning from the pasture”, we cannot find these values – neither the pictorial range of colours, nor the technique of performance: the horse and the sheep are treated unprofessionally.

And how different the matters in “House in Gori” and “The Great Master’s Brotherly Council” are. In the first one the content of light is perfectly well caught, there is a rich tint range of dim and subtle reflections, which entirely lack in the other painting. Generally its composition is not bad but the transfer of unnecessary details in the first plan creates chaos and incoherence and distracts the attention from the people in the centre of the painting who represent the main content. Besides this, the poor and rough painting technique does not make the painting more appealing. The landscape studies of this author are on a much advanced level.

Among the other compositions W. Mdiwani’s small painting of “Korean Mother”, which has a deeply dramatic content, is worth distinction.

A. Gigotaszwili’s “Shepherd”, powerful in drawing, is well modeled on the background of a hot illuminated by the sun landscape.

In “Horse Racings” painted by G. Rojniszwili’s brush, there is a well reproduced sunny day with a bright colouring, however the horses on this painting can hardly be discerned from paper mache horsemen.

D. Gabitaszwili’s portrait compositions “Craving for Knowledge” and “Czewsur” are on a high artistic level, however such a talented artist must clear up the range of colours in his works.  B. Sanakojew’s portrait studies are also distinctive with their propriety of the drawing, especially “Schoolgirl” which is in a subtle gray colour range. In the portrait of “Poet Tabidze” painted by A. Bandzeladze it is hard to see any painter’s merits. This portrait can be probably assigned to the category of the poorest works on the exhibition.

The A. Wepchwadze’s portrait of Sajat Nowa, stylized with easiness, though showing undoubted painter’s merits, causes some reservation regarding the artificiality of the reproduced image.

Among G.Dzaszi’s works, it is worth distinguishing the portrait of the artist and painter Cimakuradze, while Tatiszwili’s portrait of the soloist girls is less successful.

The artist K.Sanadze achieved an interesting Rembrandtesque luminous effect in his portrait of poet Tabidze, but he had to keep Rembrandt’s principles further – and not to darken the background. The portrait of the actress N. Burmitrowa from the same author is on the lowest level compared to the rest of his works, with a faint colour range, I can even say –mild.

The academic studies of the young artist K. Macharadze bespeak of a great panter’s temper, a self-possessed drawing emphasizing on the characteristics of the people in the portrait. These merits are also found in the portrait studies of the artist I. Dzapadze.

The stiffened portrait of the actor Krawejszwili by K. Kliknadze does not belong to the very successful works, as well as the portraits painted by R. Sturnal which have a very unpleasant tone.

Widely presented on the exhibition are the stylized works of the artist W. Gudiaszwili. This old artist still sticks to the national eastern art tradition of the region.

Landscape art works are very richly represented on the exhibition; however there is a lack of bigger landscapes – compositions from the lovely, majestic mountainous nature. Here we mainly have fragmentary works and most of them nature studies, more or less successful.

The works of the landscape school founder A. Cimakuradze deserve a special distinction. His works, although just studies, they clearly testify that the artist has achieved self-possession of the landscape art.

Among the landscapes of the artist B. Gorgadze the big panting of “Rustawi” is less successful, with an inconsistent and overburdened composition without a marked centre, though evidently there can be recognized sea motifs with a light airy key.

The artist E. Achwiegiani showed an uncommon painter’s temper in the landscape “View from Cchra-Skara” by treating the trees in the first plan, however he did not manage to reproduce the air expanse, therefore the mountains on the second plan crushed the first plan.

Worth distinguishing there will be N. Palawandiszwili’s landscapes, performed  with a temperamental technique of ornamental framing in a very pleasant clear colour range, as well as in the works of artist B. Szuchajew easily stylized and reproducing the characterful countryside of sunny Georgia.

Certain rigidity and heaviness of the colouring can be felt in a few of the landscapes of the artist M. Chwitij, however one of them named “Before rain” is well recreated in a very subtle dusky colour range.

The artists G. Doguzow and R. Kirkaszwili aim to recreate evening moods, especially winter ones.

In the sculpture section there is a lack of composition, that is why it is hard to estimate the abilities and the achievements of the Georgian sculptors. Out of a whole line of picturesque busts, J.Nikoladze’s “Portrait of the poet and thinker Czachruchadze” and W. Topuridze’s  “Portrait of sculptor Kondelak” /in marble/ stand out, also the very expressive “Lenin’s head” /in bronze/.

They are successfully followed by P. Mzareulaszwili, K. Merubiszwili and B. Alawiszwili who show a perfect self-possession of the plastic shape.

Regretfully, the bust made under G. Kordzachij’s chisel does not resemble poet Majakowski.

The graphics section, and particularly the theatrical-decorative decorative section are represented extremely interestingly. Most of the works from this period have preserved the Old-Georgian style

Czeslaw Znamierowski 
artist-painter

Translation: Translation Agency "ADJUTOR" (Vilnius, Lithuania)
Translated from: Polish
Originals:

RED BANNER
Year XXIV, Nr. 197 (7198), SUNDAY, 22 AUGUST, 1976

THE PEOPLE FROM OUR CITY
CHARM OF FLOWERS, 
BEAUTY OF LANDSCAPES

The attention of every passer-by in Antakalnis is attracted by a small white house with a stone foundation all around, by the side of which colorful roses, gerberas, dahlias and many, many other flowers are peeking. An artistic soul lives here – you would think involuntarily. We step inside for a moment. Obviously, we were wrong: from the moment of crossing the threshold, we came upon a marvelous world of poetry and beauty.                                                  

A painter’s atelier. The invigorating odor penetrates through the open windows, and blending with the smell of freshly diluted paint creates an amazing constructive atmosphere. Canvassses on the walls, on the easels. Not a very tall slim old man is standing by one of the canvasses, with a palette and a brush in his hand. Gently, he applies paint on it, steps backwards a little, looks at it under perspective and then another stroke with the brush follows. He is absorbed in the mystery of creation.

I don’t really want to disturb him but it is time that I introduce to the Readers the owner of the garden and the atelier. This is Czeslaw Znamierowski, a plastic artist, famous and appreciated not only in our republic but also in many countries abroad.

***

- There is such a harmony of colours and smells here that I do not know from where exactly to start.

- Let’s start from the beginning.

- In this connection, when did you get this love for painting?

- Since my childhood. My house in Zacisze (Latvian SSR), where I was born, was always abundant in flowers. My mother, a teacher in music and singing, adored art. She herself, painted as well.

- And under her influence you took the brush?

- Yes. First attempts were by the way not very successful but they bore that willingness to reveal the surrounding world through the means of colours. I remember I often used to observe the work of the local painter Mr. Hofman. He was making good reproductions. I aksed him to teach me. – You are too young – he said.

-  In the meantime you were growing…

- I painted. After I enrolled in high school, in Dzwinsk, my aunt A. Bobrowicz, also a painter, started to take care of my education. There I met A. Pliszko, a student from the Arts Academy in Petersburg, who apparently saw something in my works and invited me to Petersburg. I did not hesitate much, I sold my bicycle, with the cash collected I bought a railway ticket and in 1911 I found myself in a building at Moika where the School of the Association at Zacheta National Art Gallery was. Then Rerich used to be its head-master and lectures were read by Dmochowski, Chimona and other well-known artists. The 5-year course I completed within two years.

- Such a talent is to be envied.

- Yes, I was talented then but my works did not give me satisfaction. Extremely precisely I was composing the painting, meticulously finishing off the smallest details. I remember that Dmochowski always said: “you have to paint broadly, not as if you are making an orengburska bandana”.  I then decided I will continue further my education and in 1913 I was accepted in the Higher School at the Arts Academy, and after a year of studies I had to withdraw because of a difficult family situation and had to go back to our farm. After a year of interruption I went back to continue my studies, but I did not manage to graduate this time either. It was 1917. The revolution burst out. I could not be indifferent to what was fermenting everyone else. In Zacisze I was carrying out propaganda among the peasantry and was appointed a secretary of the Communal Committee of peasants in misery. In January 1918 the white guardsmen arrested me, I was running the danger of being executed, I hardly saved my life. Possible imprisonment, however, could not hold me from further actions.

In Ludze (Latvian SRR) I became president of the “Proletariat”. I was writing short drama plays, which I was later performing on stage. When the Soviet power crushed, I was arrested again. It was a serious problem, but thanks to the efforts of my family I was released.

- And what about painting?

- It was exactly painting that took me to Vilnius. I heard Ruszczyc was running the Faculty of Painting in the University and decided to continue my studies with him. My mother and I sold off our property and in October 1926 we arrived in Vilnius. Ruszczyc saw my works and assessed them very favourably. I was accepted as a third year student. I attended landscape classes at Ruszczyc’ workshop, and from time to time at Sledzinki’s where I was making efforts as a portraitist. In 1929 I initiated the preparation of a political composition for my diploma thesis. Ruszczyc and Sledzinski estimated my intentions very critically. Too much politics – they said.  What should I have done if these were my persuasions.

- Did you give up your diploma?

- Yes. It is talent that is important, not diploma. In the same year I organized an author’s  exhibition of 40 of my works. It was successful. Ruszczyc also saw it, later he said: “You draw too well. In painting it is colour that matters.”

- Did you comply with this in your next works?

- I started to paint more often outdoors because this sharpens the observational skills for the shades in light and colour combinations. My paintings I sent to the hall of Zacheta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw. In 1931 I got an honour prize, and in 1932 in a contest in Krakow I obtained an Honorary Diploma for my landscape painting “Before rain”. In 1933, again with my canvass “Before rain”, in Zacheta National Gallery of Art I achieved a bronze medal. These are landscapes showing a realistic tendency. In 1933 I established the Vilnius Association of Independent Plastic Artists which had the purpose to propagandize realistic art. I am an adherent to this tendency today as well.

- On what are you currently working?

- Literally, in this moment the easel is taken by my landscape “Waterfall”. Besides this I am preparing an exhibition sale in the Warsaw Art Gallery which will take place in the middle of September. I organize such exhibitions very often. This year I will expose 50 canvasses. Other painters have asked me many times why I price them so low. I just want them to be reasonable for everyone.

A scarce part of Czeslaw Znamierowski’s canvasses are in his atelier. Here are only the most valuable ones for the painter, in whose creation he experienced biggest joy and these, on which he currently works. The rest are part of private collections and museums not only in our republic but also abroad: in Poland, Canada, Spain and France. If we put them together in one place there will make a big gallery. For at this moment the artist is the author of more than 3 000 paintings. Most of them are landscapes with which he subtly shows the countryside beauty of the Vilnius region, he abstracts from it what hides from the naked eye but delights on the canvass. He is one of the few panoramic landscape painters in our republic. His biggest canvass [8m x 2.5m], called “Panorama from Vilnius City” was exhibited in a Lithuanian pavilion on WOGN.

Another realm of Czeslaw Znamierowski’s works is portrait painting. In his achievement, the artist and painter has 5 author’s expositions on which he had canvasses showing different periods, and also different types of his creation work. In 1965 he was granted the title of an Honoured Worker of Art of the Lithuanian SRR Culture.

The garden in front of his house is another piece of art he created. All flowers there he has planted and cares of himself. Usually he spends here every free minute he has when not making art. May be this is where he gets inspiration from? We thank for the nice conversation and wish him that inspiration never leaves him.

Interviewer:  H. JUCHNIEWICZ
Photo: G. Jakubowski

Translation: Translation Agency "ADJUTOR" (Vilnius, Lithuania)
Translated from: Polish
Originals:

RED BANNER
Year XVIII, Nr. 117 (5295), SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1970

80th anniversary from the birth of the honored plastic art worker, Cz. [Czeslaw] Znamierowski.

CRIMSON NIGHTS, GREEINISH MISTS

A RISING town, like a Moloch*, is swallowing the small houses of former suburbs onwards and onwards. And all of a sudden a modest small house appears on its way, all laced with wild vines, with a carpet of flowers in different colours in front. The town indecisively stops. What to do with this volatile phenomenon? Crush it, stifle it?  No. With a wide turn the town goes around the house and leaves it intact, like a symbol of the human inclination towards beauty.

In such a home, in Antakalnis, a suburb of Vilnius, there lives one of the old artists in our city, one of the few determined realists of the old school nowadays. His paintings can be seen in many institutions, in the town hall administration departments. Mainly landscapes. In the corner of each work one can see a signature “Cz. Znamierowski” and a date.

The house in Antakalnis and its owner are considered sights of our city. Everyone who takes the trolley, leans out of the window to see the extremely funny and charming garden, situated up on the hill, full of joyful flowers and old man lively bustling about between the flower beds in the garden.

This house - is a piece of art. That is why it resisted trends and reconstructions, and it was left to enjoy the eyes all walking and driving by. We have to mention though that besides art Czeslaw Znamierowski is engaged in floriculture and receives a yearly distinction from the Town Council.

Today, May 23, the artist celebrates his 80th anniversary. He is from Inflandil, Latvia. But he feels as a citizen of Vilnius. He has been always living there since 1926. Always on this same street, in this same house.

A small parlour – bright and joyful owing to the low placed windows, full of souvenirs and sculptures. Everywhere piles of paintings. In August, in the Exhibition Palace in Vilnius, there will take place a retrospective anniversary exhibition of the plastic artist to perpetuate both his 50-year productive activity and 80th birthday.

That’s why there are already preparations going on in the house – the old canvasses are dusted, he sorts them, has a look around, creates catalogues, discusses captions. And here it is still May – and the garden, and the flowers.

- I would like to see some early works and recent ones – please. And here they start to shift in front of me Vilnius scenes – well-known, loved, unique caught in different times of the days and in different seasons.

I easily notice certain evolution in the creative work of the plastic artist of which he is fully conscious – force, intensification of colours, change of techniques - from the minute elaboration of the details to more dashing strokes, separating only the main elements of the landscape.

- When has it all started?

- As far back as early youth. Must be a family trait. My mother’s grandfather was a sculptor. My mother itself very much loved applied arts.   

A portrait of a young modern girl, in pearl and beige colours, full of warmth, somehow very intimate, takes its place on the easel.

Then flowers in a glass vase on a small lustrous table polished with bronze.

 - In 1920 I took part for the first time in an exhibition in Riga. I remember, the Swedish Association of the Independent Artists bought two paintings.

- How about your studies?

- I was in Petersburg, then in Vilnius, at Ruszczyc’ place.

Immediately I find an analogue: Shishkin and Kuindzhi – Ruszczyc – Czeslaw Znamierowski. Today we already have to add “senior” because his son is also a plastic artist and a photographer as well.

-  I finished my studies but I did not received a diploma because of disaccording views on arts with prof. Sledzinski. I have not quite lived through this opinion. My diploma is always with me – this is my art.     

-  “ Night in Chosc”. Green patch of land, green sky and green see. Somehow fluorescent tint. “As if in a bottle of beer” – Galczynski would say. The afternoon motif is often repeated in Czeslaw Znamierowski’s creative works

 - In 1931 I obtained an honour prize in an exhibition in Krakow, in 1933 I exhibited in Warsaw’s “Incentive” and I even received a medal. In 1939 my last pre-war exhibition took place.

“After the rain”. Large infinity of sky with restless clouds, narrow piece of land. A composition configuration loved by the painter.

But these are other landscapes, on which we see the closed horizon – such is a bright winter morning in the forest, with a blazing sky, shining through through the trees.

- And during the war? ...

- During the war I was still painting. When the bombarding of the town began, we were lying just here, in this room, one on top of the other on the floor.

- Did you not hide the paintings?

- No.

- And after the war?

- I painted, I painted, I painted…

His wife comes back:

- He traveled quite a lot in the Caucasus, the Crimea and the Zakarpattia district. From each trip he was bringing between 20 and 25 canvasses.

- Sometimes it goes off well. Some I painted in one performance.

- And how about discipline?

- This is not for me. If it clings– I can paint a few hours without stopping.  If it doesn’t – I may not work for a couple of weeks.

Azure-crimson painted gloomy autumn day. A red cluster of trees – one living element. Elsewhere “Three recluses” - roadside trees. And there is again a huge canvass – an industrial landscape. Again a high sky, strip of land with a rural road. Romantic.

 I do not prefer any particular colours. There are violets colours and dense green ones, autumn crimson and azure, impressionistic hazy and intensive white.

A true-born realist. He is not ashamed of this, he does not justify it. “When you have to paint something for the people – he turns towards me – explain. Not long ago I received an order from the Atheism Museum for a figural composition with a possible historical theme.”

He also paints portraits. The last – a portrait of marshal Grzeczko in the Officers’ House..

Experiments, searches! No, this is not for him. The world is so diverse and abundant, and it changes during every time of the day and the night, every spring and autumn so that it dictates its own shape, you don’t have to transfer it through your own imagination. You have to express it as it is in a given moment.

Wilenka river. Winter, summer, autumn. After every time the water is different. You don’t have to know much about arts to say that on these canvasses it is obviously wet.

- Art obviously always develops but sometimes plastic artists come to absurdity. I don’t change – I don’t know if this is good or bad. I have always been faithful to my opinions, views about things, about arts.

And that is why – always “crimson”, always atheist, always realist. My motto has always been Lenin’s principle that the art is destined for the peoples and must be widely comprehensible. My paintings are seen by ordinary people, they discuss them. I am happy they understand me. I create for them and for them I am necessary…

Behind the windows, behind the flower beds of Bulgarian primroses, begonias, tulips growling cars were rushing. The old man calmly had a look around the room, for a moment he held his eyes on one canvass, he remembered something. He was 80 years old, with a young heart, full of optimism, some peace and faith. I wished him lots, lots of health, creative atmosphere and good outdoor space and I left, because I saw he was longing to go outside back to his flowers and land on which he was making miracles.

B. ZNAJDZILOWSKA

ON THE PHOTO: the painter of Vilnius land Czeslaw Znamierowski in his garden. Photo: M. Rebiego

Translation: Translation Agency "ADJUTOR" (Vilnius, Lithuania)
Translated from: Polish
Originals:

There are artists who through their life experience distinct creative stages varying in style. This depends on the artist’s individuality and outlook. However, there are artists whose creation matures gradually without big leaps and within a number of years reveals a distinguishable original style. One of such artists is Česlovas Znamierovskis, a landscape painter from Vilnius, celebrating his 75th anniversary of birth.

Česlovas Znamierovskis was born on 23 May 1890 in Latvia, in the rural district of Pilden, in the farmstead of Zotiške. Having finished Daugavpils secondary school, he worked in different institutions. From the very childhood he admired the colours in which the fields of the native country were covered in spring and autumn. Thus, a 22-year-old young man with some savings left for Petersburg and there he entered the Art Supporting Society. After three years as a person with undoubted talent Česlovas Znamierovskis was admitted to higher school under the Academy of Art. 

After the October Socialist Revolution Česlovas Znamierovskis came back to Latvia. Here he took an active part in organization of the Soviet power and for some time had worked as Chairman of Proletariat Culture of Liucen region. 

After his first art exhibition arranged in Riga museum in 1920 Č. Znamierovskis joined the Latvian Independent Artists’ Society and in 1926 arrived in Vilnius for permanent residence. Since that moment the whole artist’s creation and social activity has been related to Vilnius. 

The establishment of the Independent Artists’ Society in Vilnius in 1930 the organizer of which was Č. Znamierovskis was quite important for the Lithuanian art history. This society arranged spring and autumn art exhibitions every year. In 1936 it organized the second one-man exhibition of Č. Znamierovskis. 

Three years ago the spectator of our capital got widely acquainted with the abundant creation of Č. Znamierovskis (exhibited in relation to the 40th anniversary of creative activity) and mainly found interesting landscapes in it. 

Česlovas Znamierovskis became greatly attracted by hills, valleys and evergreen pine forests of Vilnius environs. Therefore the theme of Vilnius countryside takes a major part in his landscapes. The most interesting works are “Before Rain”, “The Neris at Vilnius”, “Vilnius Panorama” and “The Green Lake” in which the painter sensitively reveals the beauty of nature.

Within the long years of the creative activity the artist created more than 2000 paintings and sketches many of which were acquired by museums and art lovers. 

Having celebrated the 75th anniversary of birth, the painter is full of creative energy and new plans.

R. ALEKNA

Translation: Vilnius Translation Bureau "DANUSTA" (Vilnius, Lithuania)
Translated from: Russian
Originals:

ART 21
Publishing House VAGA, 
Vilnius,1979

ČESLOVAS ZNAMIEROVSKIS
(1890. V.  23 - 1977. VIII. 9)

For about fifty years Č. Znamierovskis has been related to Vilnius and its life of art. He came here from Latvia as a grown up artist having the firm basics of the realistic academic school. The reason why he entered Vilnius University Faculty of Art was not that he lacked knowledge or skill, but he simply wanted to work under the direction of Prof. F. Ruščicas and Prof. A. Šturmanas. Once when F. Ruščicas, a landscape painter of a more romantic mood, was expressing his opinion about one of Č. Znamierovskis landscapes, he said: “Everything is done perfectly, no faults can be found. Only there is no cock’s crow in your spring…”

Through all his life Č. Znamierovskis remained true to his realistic and maybe slightly ascetic style of painting and the genre of landscape. After the war he painted portraits, too. He was considered as a great master of this job and received serious orders. However, the most important inspirer of his creation was nature. As most of the artists he particularly liked “the landscape season”, i.e. the early spring and the golden autumn. He was a painter of rare diligence and, by the way, he easily coped with his job. When he went to paint from nature, he brought back not one but three or four sketches which later in his studio he used to develop, improve and carefully represent every detail.

As in art Č. Znamierovskis was restrained and constant and did not long to the avant-garde, the same he was in life - rather secluded and not inclined to bohemian or other public gatherings and spent the time left from creation in his family or toiling in his fine flower-garden. He felt the need to communicate with nature not only with a palette in his hands. Therefore the artist lived and created in seclusion and noticed almost by nobody. Despite of this his works remain as a model of sincerity and consistency.

PETRAS SERGIJEVIČIUS

Translation: Vilnius Translation Bureau "DANUSTA" (Vilnius, Lithuania)
Translated from: Lithuanian
Originals:

DAILY “THE TRUTH”
No 207, 06 September 1970  

THE WORKS AND 
THE THOUGHTS

The jubilee exhibitions of two veterans of the Soviet art, Petras Sergijevičius and Česlovas Znamierovskis, take place at Vilnius Exhibition Palace.

Česlovas Znamierovskis, Honoured Art Worker of the Lithuanian SSR, has also grown together with Vilnius though he was born and studied in Latvia. Taking the age into account he is the oldest artist of our city.

... In each early spring, when the sun thaws the last snow, the people of Vilnius see an older man toiling in his flower-garden. In summer the area around the white house in Antakalnis district begins to thrill and sparkle with colourful blossoms. We often meet him hurrying to Vilnius surroundings with a sketch book. This artist is already eighty but we always see him with his head raised, with a cheerful smile, straight and hurrying to paint the sunset.

Česlovas Znamierovskis has painted two thousand canvases or even more. His works adorn private apartments, state and public buildings, museums. One can only envy such diligence. He works in different genres such as the portrait, panoramic landscape and figure composition. A lot of works differing in genre are presented in the exhibition of which we are speaking. According to the artist this exhibition is as if “confession” of the whole life.

Česlovas Znamierovskis learnt from the best examples of the advanced Russian art and remained true to the realistic method of creation and realistic interpretation of the portrait and picture for life. He has never pursued innovations, modern art fancifulness and remained reserved and original. There is much sincerity, spontaneous mood as well as light and shade effects in his landscapes. He likes depicting stormy and cloudy sky from the rifts of which clear gaps break through and in a spectacular way lie down on green earth, run across the flowing river and strike against brown fields left fallow. The painter has perfectly wielded the dab so a kind touch of the brush is felt in many of his works. The portraits are striking, slightly dry but well done technically. By the way, the artist knows himself that despite of his ability to create portraits, at the bottom he is a landscape painter.

He tries to respond to today’s needs and phenomena by his works. He was the first who created a panoramic picture. This genre can be represented by the industrial staffage “Building of Bridge across the Neris”, panoramic landscapes “The Nemunas”, “The Neris” as wells as “Vilnius Panorama’, “Salute in Vilnius”, “Lenin Square in Vilnius”, “Klaipeda Fishing Port”, etc.

The artist travels a lot. There is more painting, vividness and less light and shade effects in the sketches done by him from nature. They are richer, more melodious and lively. Unfortunately, when the painter transfers a small sketch into a large canvas, the works seem to be slightly repeated and becoming similar.

The period of life is eighty and the period of creation is fifty years. Notwithstanding such a burden of years, Česlovas Znamierovskis is cheerful, energetic and succeeds both in painting and growing flowers. We wish him to rejoice at painting and flowers for long years!

Boleslovas Motuza

Translation: Vilnius Translation Bureau "DANUSTA" (Vilnius, Lithuania)
Translated from: Lithuanian
Originals:

DAILY “EVENING NEWS”
No 118, 23 May 1970

FLOWERS IN CREATIVE
 WORK AND AT HEART

Flowers dance in all colours of spring. I open the gate of the yard and step on a paved path. Flowers and plain field stone. Here the host himself is – artist Česlovas Znamierovskis. A warm smile is playing on his face. Already for those spring blossoms at the dusty asphalt there is a wish to say something kind to him…

“Many people admire my flower-garden”, and as if guessing my thoughts (I thought how much effort was needed to make this quite a large area to start blooming and to find a suitable place for grey stone in this garden spot) adds: : “I take a rest here… One or two hours of work in the flower-garden and then you come back and at once finish your painting. I work over there…” he waved his hand towards the house. We come in. A lot of paintings – finished, already known and still without frames, fixed to easels and smelling of paint – meet us… His life has been surrounded with joys and troubles of creative work for almost half a century.

“The dearest things are always those that occur for the first time in life”, Č. Znamierovskis says. “In 1929 I arranged the first one-man exhibition in Vilnius and exhibited about 60 works. I participated in exhibitions in Krakow, Warsaw and other cities. Here is the first diploma for the painting ‘Rain’ which I was awarded in the contest in Krakow in 1931”.

The artist opens a small box: “This is a bronze medal which I brought from Warsaw for the canvas ‘Before Storm’ in 1933”.

Today the artist is 80 years of age. He has had a long and full of meaning life. In 1965 Č. Znamierovskis was awarded the honorary title of the Honoured Art Worker of LSSR.

We go from one picture to another. The artist remembers the painting dates: there are a lot of them as he created over 2000 works within fifty years. They are landscapes, portraits. Landscapes are the main trend in his creative work. You look at a number of his pictures and see with what love Lithuanian nature and Vilnius environs have been painted. Some of his paintings are of large-scale panoramic character as e.g.  “Before Rain”, “The Neris at Vilnius” and “Vilnius Panorama”. The artist seeks realistic view and sensation of space in these canvases. Another group of his landscapes are sketches. In them a vivid mood of the artist’s and spontaneous sensation of nature is felt. The landscapes of the recent years differ from other ones by technique of performance. The stroke is braver and wider, the colours are more acute and the very range of them is more complex.

“I like winter, water and particularly the sea – it so colourful…” speaks the artist looking at the newest works. “I am preparing for a one-man exhibition in which 300 works should be exhibited”.

Yes, such is the dowry of eighty years of life and fifty years of creative activity. I leave the room in which the world of art is alive and go out of the yard for the beautiful management of which the artist was given diplomas… Nature in the creative work and flowers in the everyday life – this is the expression of the young spirits of the painter.

R. JAKUTYTE

Translation: Vilnius Translation Bureau "DANUSTA" (Vilnius, Lithuania)
Translated from: Lithuanian
Originals: