Provincial Art

Roman Szwoynicki (1845–1915) came from the estate of Rodai, near the town of Panevėžys, and also died there. He is known best as a painter of domestic scenes of the nobility of the 17th and 18th century, and for his allegorical and symbolic compositions. He also had an eye for recording actual events and customs of his times. The painting Provincial art dates from when he lived in Warsaw, where he arrived in 1869 (after being exiled for participating in the 1863 uprising, Szwojnicki could not return to Lithuania for a long time). This is a very interesting piece, produced while he was studying at the private school of Wojciech Gerson. It shows some characteristic features of his later work: a story told in imagery, a predilection for anecdotal everyday scenes, and the ability to use the subject to create a general image with a broader meaning and implications. The composition is an ironic scene from provincial life, in which an artist is trying hard to convince a buyer, who is not very confident, to open his drawstring money bag and purchase an exotic little painting that shows the eruption of a volcano (probably Mount Vesuvius). he artist ridicules the provincial’s approach to art, and indirectly advocates support for local art that is not trivial, but which looks at topical problems in society and embodies social ideals. Text author Rūta Janonienė.