Applied Arts of XVII–XX Centuries

Vrtual exhibition of applied arts presents the exhibits from the collections of the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art. Until the 2nd half of the 19th century especially artistic ware used to be produced for the manors of aristocrats and the great monarchs of the European countries only. The demands of the middle class were met by the craftsmen. Here you will get acquainted with the history of porcelain production, its development in Europe, the ware of the famous porcelain manufactories of Meissen, Sèvres, Russia and other countries, with various styles of art, ware of glass and metal, furniture and other pieces of art.

Exhibits of this exhibition are being presented at the Mykolas Žilinskas Art Gallery – one of the subdivisions of the Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis National Museum of Art. This Kaunas gallery meant for the collections of foreign art was opened in 1989 and named after Žilinskas to honour the famous Lithuanian collector, patron, the former Chancellor of the Ministers’ Cabinet and an exceptionally clever businessman. In 1940, when the Soviets occupied Lithuania, he was forced to emigrate to the West. Mykolas Žilinskas donated to his home town Kaunas 1,685 works of the 16th-20th centuries’ European art from his collection accumulated in West Berlin.

The gallery offers the display of the most valuable paintings from Žilinskas’ collection as well as art treasures of the Far East, Ancient Egypt, the ancient world and Europe accumulated in the museum since 1921. They are mostly the acquisitions from the collections of the Lithuanian noblemen, from the exhibitions from abroad or works of art accumulated by ardent travellers and collectors.