Another “Zodiac” by Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis

The story of Mikaloyus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875-1911), his complicated biography, the experience of being at the cultural frontier and the resulting feeling of rejection, difficult illness and, above all, extraordinary creativity, is not an easy challenge, since the keys to the interpretation of his life and work remain unobvious. As a chronicler, it must first be written that he was a versatile artist — he composed, created many works of painting, graphics and drawings, and the fantastic worlds of his compositions, full of abstract abbreviations and dreamlike associations, foreshadowed the great transformations that were beginning in art at that time. He was recognized as the most outstanding Lithuanian artist of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, although he also has many links with Polish culture. The main theme of the speech will be a series depicting the 12 signs of the Zodiac, which Čiurlionis prepared in 1906/7 in the technique of tempera on paper. In these performances, however, the artist departed from the traditional patterns of astrological iconography, widespread in Western culture. In his view, the zodiacal journey becomes a symbolic expression of the fate of man, entangled in the cosmic play of the forces of light and darkness, and in this space trying to unravel the mysteries of his own psyche.

Izabela Trzcińska, PhD, AGH professor

She works in the Department of Cultural Studies and Research of the Digital Age of the Faculty of Humanities of the AGH. Her research interests include research on the phenomenon of new and alternative spirituality, the traditions of Western esotericism, especially theosophy and esoteric currents of Cieszyn Silesia. He is also involved in visual art and anthropology and mythology in ancient and contemporary culture. She is the author of, among others, the books “The Art of Spirituality by Janina Kraupe” and (together with Agata Świerzowska) “Bright is the road ahead of me — the life and work of Wanda Dynowska Umadeva”.

Illustration: Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, The Sun passes through the sign of Virgo, composition VIII from the series of twelve paintings Zodiac, 1906-1907; tempera, paper; M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art in Kaunas. Photo from ciurlionis.eu, public domain.