In the 19th century, in the crossing of Romanticism and Realism, a specific kind of landscape painting was formed - mood land scapes. They were realistic and also had some features of Romanticism. Romanticism left a sensitive element of painting structure transformed to concept mood. Realism changed a romantic relation of a dreamer to the nature into its objective and direct analysis. In the plastic expression, special attention was given to colour and light, and in trying to obtain an entire mood of a picture, principles of tonic painting were applied. Authors of mood landscapes denied the hierarchy of genres that was vital at that time. They protested against monumental multifigure compositions and paid attention to the vitality of nature. Mood landscapes were widespread. In the middle of the 19th century, beside traditional pictures they became popular in France, Germany, Poland, and Lithuania. The sources of these landscapes are linked to English romantic paintings (such painters as John Constable, William Turner) and the 17th century Dutch landscape painting. The first distinct appearance is noticed in the middle of the 19th century in the works of the representatives of the French Barbizon school. The German painters continued and developed mood landscape creation in their own culture in their own way. Munich became the centre of German mood landscape painters, and from there mood landscapes spread to various European countries, including Lithuania. In the 80s of the 19th century, Tadas Daugirdas, Stanislovas Vitkevičius, Edvardas Matas Römeris studied in Munich. They closely associated with a group of Polish artists in the capital of Bavaria. Unique principles of mood landscapes were formed in these surroundings. The features of landscapes of Polish and German painters left traces in the painting of Lithuanian artists.

Tadas Daugirdas was one of the most famous personalities in Kaunas at the beginning of the XXth century. While in Kaunas, his main occupation was that of a professional painter. However, his interests were much wider: he worked as an archaeologist, as an ethnographer, he took care of architectural monuments and wrote articles on the work he was doing. His interests ranged from staging amateur plays, making sketches for decorations and costumes, engaging into stained glass and interior projects to reconstructing Lithuanian heraldry. Since 1909 and until the end of his life he was the director of the Kaunas City museum. This study is a survey of the creative heritage of T. Daugirdas in Kaunas. From this period, only one picture by T. Daugirdas ("The Town Hall of Kaunas") is known, but it is obvious that he had painted more. This picture, as well as his earlier paintings, show the influence of Polish naturalism and the so-called "mood" landscapes. In 1908 and 1911 the painter took part in the exhibitions organized by the Lithuanian Society of Fine Arts. During the German occupation in 1917 he also participated in an exhibition as a landscape-painter. In 1910-1911 T. Daugirdas designed three stained glasses where he applied the forms of Lithuanian folk art. A similar stylistics characterizes his other works. In the décor of a large salon of Maironis house he combined the ornaments of folk art and Secession. It was the first décor of this style in Lithuania. T. Daugirdas took part in the activities of the theatrical society "Daina". He wrote and staged plays, created decorations and costume sketches for the drama "Mirga". The cultural and creative activities of T. Daugirdas are very significant. At the beginning of the XXth century he took part in the Lithuanian national movement. He stressed Lithuanian national singularity, and this new trend influenced all the fields that T. Daugirdas was working in.

Straipsnyje analizuojamas XX a. pradžios Lietuvos dailėje itin paplitusio kraštovaizdžio su kryžiumi tipas. Atsekamos jo ištakos XIX a. pradžios romantizmo epochoje, tolesnė raida realizmo bei nacionalinio romantizmo meninių krypčių kūriniuose. Kraštovaizdis su kryžiumi, laikomas lietuviškosios kultūros savastimi, aptariamas atsižvelgiant į platesnį europinį dailės kontekstą, atrandama jo analogų Vokietijos, Lenkijos dailėje. Taip atsiskleidžia bendrumai ir savitumai.

Straipsnyje pristatomos ir analizuojamos menotyros (architektūrologijos, dailėtyros, teatrologijos) publikacijos žurnale SOTER. Išskiriami tarpukario ir pastarojo dešimtmečio periodai. Aptariamas publikacijų pobūdis, jų reikšmė, temų įvairovė ir tikslingumas.

In this article, the aspects of national self-awareness in the Lithuania of the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries are ventilated by invoking biographies and creation of artists. Tadas Daugirdas represents the members of such posture, who want to acknowledge the peculiarities of the Lithuanian nation and to express them in creation. Stanislovas Vitkevičius represents the ones under the influence of polonization; the posture of those, who while speaking Polish, though still feeling as the offspring of The Grand Duchy of Lithuania, markedly lean to the Polish culture. The aim of this article is to analyze the creation of artists who represent different postures of national identity, revealing possible interactions between the artistic ideas and decisions taken by the persons themselves with regard to the national dependence. The commonly used formulas (the components of which may be language, historical memory, customs, and traditions) are not meant for defining the national self-awareness of the Lithuanians of the analyzed period. Every person tackled the dilemma of being either Lithuanian or Polish individually and “drew“ the dividing lines inside themselves. It was difficult to take the decisions and they were accompanied by both external and inner conflicts. A wish to integrate into the Lithuanian nation and to create a national state was a big challenge, which meant conflicts with the bigger part of the members of the landed nobility and the change of the social position. The expression of national peculiarity in the fine arts’ creation was influenced by the dominant trend of the art at the particular time. It sometimes turns out that what was thought to be peculiar and unique, when looking from the common European art’s context assumes the touch of universality.[...].

Several reasons make the interwar period so important for Lithuanian art history and criticism. First of all, it was the period when famous art researches worked – such as Paulius Galaunė, and Jurgis Baltrušaitis, important in the world of art history for his comparative studies. Another important reason is that during this period the formation of local art history and criticism school has been started. The article raises a question – are there any ties between the art history and criticism school of the interwar period and the present VMU school, and what is the actual connection between these two schools, which are separated by a prolonged interval of Soviet occupation. Does this connection represent the actual tradition of continuity of art history and criticism, or is it just the same name of the institution? The research is backed by rich amount of previously unused archival material and information from rare and antique printed sources. The nature, structure, scope, purpose and periodicity of the lectures of art history and criticism at VMU in the interwar period are presented in fine detail. The details of educational activity of P. Galaunė and J. Baltrušaitis are recovered from oblivion. The study accomplished allows making the following conclusions: During the interwar period, art critics were not being trained at the VMU. However, strong forces of art specialists, concentrated at the University, produced concrete results. These results did not unroll instantaneously, but only after the major reforms, after the Faculty of Humanities of VMU was moved to Vilnius. [...]

Bibliography of art history and criticism texts from interwar Vilnius and Kaunas has been put together for the first time in this publication. The texts on architecture, fine art, art theory and criticism, heritage protection and folk art are included.

This paper analyses the famous art historian Jurgis Baltrušaitis, educational, scientific and cultural activity period in Lithuania (1933–1939). The aim of the article is to analyse in detail Baltrušaitis’ pedagogical activity at Vytautas Magnus University and to evaluate his contribution to the interwar Lithuanian art research history. Although Baltrušaitis in Lithuania is not a forgotten personality, however, adequate attention to this period of his activity and its evaluation has not been given. This research expanded information about his pedagogical work at Vytautas Magnus University. It was found out that in the period of 1933–1939 his course “General History of Art” was devoted for the students of History department, General history group. He taught on art history from prehistoric period till 16th century and took a very wide geographical area. This famous art researcher discussed each period of art history in a very detailed and comprehensive way. He has never digressed from his scientific interest field. It is assumed that in this case he was passing interests of Lithuanian youth needs, because they have not even hadv the basis of art history. “General History of Art”, written by Baltrušaitis, was prepared on his lectures basis and published in two volumes in 1934 and 1939. This course book is a unique example of formalistic art research principles in Lithuanian interwar period. The book appeared in a context which clearly lacked elementary publications about Western European art history. The book of Ignas Šlapelis “Outlines on Art History”, published in 1930, or three volumes of Kazimieras Jasėnas’ book “General History of Art”, published in period of 1923– 1938, only partially upheld the needs of the persons who were interested in art history. The book of Šlapelis was written in a popular style, without references, citation and other scientific indications. [...]