A Sketch of a Man’s Head

Author: Varašius Steponas, 1894 - 1984

Created: 1926, Paris.

Dimensions: 46x38 cm.

"Portrait of a Man" is a rare work of early period by Steponas Varašius, which expands the narrative of the history of Lithuanian art. S. Varašius was one of the first students of Kaunas Art School to graduate from the General Department with honors for drawing, studied painting in the Special Department, in the painting studio of Justinas Vienožinskis, where he earned a letter of commendation for painting in 1924. Since 1924 Varašius continued his studies in Paris intermittently, and "Portrait of a Man" belongs to this period. The artist was a student of the popular lecturer Claudio Casteluch at the Academy of the Great Shack, and at the Louvre Museum he independently delved into the secrets of historical painting and copied the paintings of the old masters. In 1926, S. Varašius made his debut at the Paris Art Salon, where he was positively evaluated. The artist of all-round talent was attracted by the classics, he took a responsible approach to preparation, wanting to squeeze the optimal benefits out of the world's museums and foreign studies. The work of the early period does not look studio, because it highlights the features of the painter's work of the mature period. The portrait shows the author as an already established artist, who has mastered the painting technique and the principles of classical portrait composition, and who remembers well the generalized manner of painting of his teacher Vienožinskis. S. Varašius liked to depict people in profile and three-quarters, up to half. The Italian is composed on a neutral background, without any additional hints, using only compositional and painting tools to convey the psychological state. The sensual intonation corresponds to the structure of the painting, the rhythm of the lines, the decorative manner of painting, modeling in large planes, using the contrast of the change of light. The vagueness of the environment allows us to focus on the impressive appearance and southern temperament of the person portrayed, to emphasize the proud posture of the Italian, the sharp features of the strong-willed face. "Portrait of a Man" allows us to get to know S. Varašius more deeply, who is not sufficiently known to the public due to his scattered creative legacy and the distribution of talent to other fields of art (music, literature, translations). S. Varašius may not have been the star of the first brightness in independent Lithuania, but every new work of this painter is discovered, an important art event that expands the biography of the painter and the masterful narrative of Lithuanian art, information about the development of the artist's horizons in Western Europe, painting lessons in museums, and the dissemination of French and Italian experience on Lithuanian soil. (Dr. Lijana Natalevičienė)