Who Rules the World? Rex (1909)
The biggest painting by M. K. Čiurlionis (1875-1911) is full of symbols. Can you spot all of them?
Rex (1909) by M. K. ČiurlionisM. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art
Rex (1909) by M. K. Čiurlionis (1875-1911)
Rex (1909) is often called the painting that synthesizes most of M. K. Čiurlionis ideas - it showcases the artist's most explored symbols, motifs, themes, and elements. This is the largest and, as the artist said himself, most tiresome painting of his life.
Eternal Flame
In front of Earth, on the water we see Fire - one of the core elements, burning on an altar. In one of his letters, M. K. Čiurlionis wrote that “All of our Life will burn on the Eternal, Infinite and Almighty altar of Art”. Could this be another image of this altar?
Surrounding Mountains
Next to the Earth we spot looming mountains. Even though Lithuania, where M. K. Čiurlionis is from, is flat, mountains are quite prominent in M. K. Čiurlionis paintings, symbolizing journeys and quests (physical and spiritual).
Suns and Moons
The shining sun appears in almost all of M. K. Čiurlionis paintings as it shows the light in life (as well as the act of enlightening yourself). The suns reach up to crescent moons that hide in another layer. We start to get a sense of duality of light.
Layering
It is thought that the layering of this painting was inspired by popular astronomer at the time - C. Flammarion and the engraving he used. According to the astronomer, layering showcases how souls can travel the Universe in stages in order to reach higher spiritual development.
Angels
To M. K. Čiurlionis, the angel is not a creature from a specific religion, but rather a symbol of many meanings. Here they are at the top layer, right before the Sun and Moon: are they the guardians, or do they represent the peak of Enlightenment?
Rex
Rex - the ruler. M. K. Čiurlionis often explored the topic of a World Ruler - who or what is it? Is it God or something else? Here we see the Light Ruler, seated on a throne with a crown. He is shown as the centre of the Universe. But what's that behind him?
Rex Duality
The motif of duality is showcased: behind the Light Ruler we see an even larger Dark Ruler, taking up the majority of the painting and even covering some of the angels. Who is he? Is it merely the shadow of the Light Ruler, or perhaps there is more at play?
Synthetization
Knowing that M. K. Čiurlionis never explained his paintings, we may never fully grasp his ideas. But here, in Rex (1909) we can sense the motifs from the Bible, Hindu and Egyptian myths, theosophical writings, astronomy, as well as M. K. Čiurlionis personal experience.
