A new branch of the Vilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History is opening in the southern Lithuanian resort town of Druskininkai on Friday, dedicated to renowned Litvak sculptor Jacques Lipchitz.
The museum presents the life and work of Lipchitz, who was born and raised in Druskininkai and went on to achieve international recognition.
According to the museum, the exhibition traces the artist’s journey from Druskininkai and Vilnius to Paris and New York, while also exploring the history of the local Jewish community.
“This is the first and only museum in the world dedicated to this outstanding artist, and Druskininkai and all of Lithuania can be proud of it,” the institution said in a statement.
The exhibition places Lipchitz’s life and work within the broader sociocultural context of the 20th century, with particular attention to his ties to Lithuania.
“I am a sculptor from Lithuania,” Lipchitz would say when opening exhibitions in major museums and galleries worldwide, even at a time when Lithuania did not exist as an independent state.
Lipchitz maintained close links with Lithuanian cultural figures, corresponding with artists such as Vladas Vildžiūnas and Vytautas Landsbergis, and discussing the work of fellow Druskininkai native Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis.
Born in 1891, Lipchitz became one of the most prominent sculptors of the 20th century and a pioneer of Cubist sculpture. He began his studies at the Vilnius Drawing School before moving to Paris in 1909, where he embraced Cubism.
His work explored mythological, biblical and universal human themes, as well as Jewish religious life and thought.
In 1954, a retrospective of his work was held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Today, his works are held in major collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Art Institute of Chicago.
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