The castle (early 20th century) by Kazimierz StabrowskiLithuanian Art Fund
The Castle
The work of art reveals a mystical world surrounded by ephemeral fog in the middle of the vast waters, in which stands a castle symbolising good and beauty.
It is a mystical place that can only be found beyond the boundaries of matter.
It is the peak of the mountain of inner freedom that depicts the aim of spiritual development idolised by many symbolists.
Castle ruins (early 20th century) by Kazimierz StabrowskiLithuanian Art Fund
Castle Ruins
During the 20th century, the Lithuanian and Polish painting scene was dominated by themes such as the past of the homeland and the emphasis of its greatness.
It was characterised by a certain symbolic perception, capable of seeing the greatness of the nation in material object that reminded of an honourable past.
Back then, the ruins of great buildings were also a certain symbol of the greatness of a nation and often a motif in symbolistic works of art.
Before the dawn (1913) by Kazimierz StabrowskiLithuanian Art Fund
Before the Dawn
In this composition, the glow of the rising sun illuminates the space that becomes an important symbolic unit meaning-wise.
Dawn reaches and lights up the most distance and most darkest depths of the world, which means that the composition is expressing a scenario of a battle between good and evil: the light slowly comes in and the darkness retreats.
Rocca Imperiale town at dusk (early 20th century) by Kazimierz StabrowskiLithuanian Art Fund
Rocca Imperiale Town at Dusk
Picture of Rocca Imperiale town at dusk.
Nocturne. The southern portico of the villa (1919) by Kazimierz StabrowskiLithuanian Art Fund
Nocturne. The Southern Portico of the Villa
Stabrowski’s nocturne entitled the Southern Portico of the Villa is instilled with romanticism and mysticism.
The architectural nocturnal landscape depicts the portico of a villa, which has four columns, is characterised by classicistic shapes, and is decorated with agaves, clematis, and other decorative plants.
Mountain landscape (1911) by Kazimierz StabrowskiLithuanian Art Fund
Mountain Landscape
The pastel depicts a brown-tone rocky massif at the seashore.
Alongside water and clouds, mountains supporting the skies are one of Stabrowski’s artistically interesting impressions of his travels.
A ravine in the mountains (1911/1913) by Kazimierz StabrowskiLithuanian Art Fund
A Ravine in the Mountains
Kazimierz Stabrowski's work a Ravine in the mountains conveys a mysterious symbolic idea.
The castle is a symbol borrowed from Romanticism: it is an aesthetically valuable object as well as an expression of human loneliness. The ravine, on the other hand, indicates a transition period in a person’s worldview and creativity.
Sunset in the white water valley (early 20th century) by Kazimierz StabrowskiLithuanian Art Fund
Sunset in the White Water Valley
Very colourful yet shadowy reflection of a sunset in the white water valley.
The distances (early 20th century) by Kazimierz StabrowskiLithuanian Art Fund
The Distances
A mystical mood dominates the composition, as if the depicted landscape is both fiction and reality. The worldly colour tones in the foreground transform into an pale otherworldly glow. The blue distances drowning in the depths of the painting form a sense of poetic contemplation.
The majesty of nature and the endlessness of the space strongly point towards the ideas of transience, the eternal clash, the meaning of existence, and the pursuit of spiritual perfection.
Vesuvius (before 1913) by Kazimierz StabrowskiLithuanian Art Fund
Vesuvius
When Stabrowski was visiting Italy, architectural wonders and parks were not the only things that the artist was feasting his eyes on.
In the pastel entitled Vesuvius, one can see one of the most spectacular volcanoes in the world.
By creating the majestic visual of the volcano, the artist contradicts it with the fragility of the human life. The pastel with its comfy and warm light expresses a search for a revelation of ideal beauty that are revealed in the Italian natural landscape.
Guanti grotto in Tenerife, from the Canary collection (1911) by Kazimierz StabrowskiLithuanian Art Fund
Guanti Grotto in Tenerife, from the Canary Collection
The composition depicts a bright stony twilight, lighting up a pathway in the darkness, which is reminiscent of the inside of a cave.
Although the colour spectrum of the painting is, at first glance, somewhat lacking and depressing, a closer look reveals a myriad of subtle colours and shades.
The blue Capri grotto (early 20th century) by Kazimierz StabrowskiLithuanian Art Fund
The Blue Capri Grotto
While painting, Stabrowski was fond of playing with the understanding of day time nuances, so this variant of the grotto depicts either a sunny morning or a bright noon.
The light transparency of the water, the twinkling grotto entrance, and the playful lights reflecting off of the waters in some ways express the spirit of the grotto, the mystical serenity of noontime, and the silence of the distant corner of the Earth.
The blue Capri grotto (early 20th century) by Kazimierz StabrowskiLithuanian Art Fund
The Blue Capri Grotto
The painting of the Capri Grotto, looking like a jaw opening up, as if it is ready to swallow whatever comes its way.
This surreal story draws the viewer closer to yet another reality, where a mysterious world of subconscious imagery is revealed to them.
The grotto (1900/1910) by Kazimierz StabrowskiLithuanian Art Fund
The Grotto
The dreary composition depicts dull dark blue and green water inside of a grotto.
The enclosed and stifling space symbolises man’s separation from the unity of being and their imprisonment by their own mind, being shackled by the chains of spiritual darkness.
