Donator L. Sternas with his wife Cilia
 

Press release by VGSJM
2014 06 27

The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum has received the first gift on the occasion of the 25^th anniversary of its restoration. This Friday a Lithuanian expatriate doctor Leonas Sternas, an art collector and a gallery owner from New York, will hand over to the museum director Markas Zingeris a painting – a still-life by a Litvak painter Jokūbas Kazlauskas (Jacques Koslowsky). This will be the first painting in the museum’s collection by the artist representing the late wave of École de Paris. The art collector made a promise to continue cooperation with the museum in enriching the Litvak art collection. It is expected that this wonderful example of patronship will grow into a tradition of close cooperation with other Lithuanian expatriates, private collectors and foundations. This will prepare the ground for the ambitious project of the museum – the Litvak Gallery – which is to become and exceptional centre of attraction and a place for unexpected discoveries.

The museum is full of discoveries already. Mr Leonas Sternas, who donated the painting, was pleasantly surprised to find his wife’s portrait at the museum painted by Rafael Chwoles during the post-war period. Ten years after World War II and the Holocaust ended, Rafael Chwoles, who died in Paris a dozen of year ago, was wandering around Vilnius and looking for an impressive face to convey the memory of the ruined community. A young girl named Cilla with a sad look in her eyes, a daughter of his friends Gordon’s, caught the painter’s attention. When Cilla grew up, she kept looking for this portrait which travelled with the painter from Soviet Lithuania to Warsaw and then to Paris, and finally, fifty years later, thanks to the sons of Rafael Chwoles, returned to Vilnius. We hope that future visitors and friends of the Litvak Culture and Art Centre under the Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum will be able to enjoy even more unexpected discoveries.

Painter Jokūbas Kazlauskas was born in 1904 in a small town of Pakuonis in Prienai district. His parents named him Jankel, but the painter-to-be tended to introduced himself as Jokūbas.

In 1920–1922 Kazlauskas attended an advance drawing course lead by Vienožinskis, and in 1922–1924 he continued his studies at Kaunas Art School. Kazlauskas was an exceptionally gifted young man. He won a bursary and left for Florence, where he studied medicine and painting at Reggia Academia de Belles Art. Having graduated from his studies, Kazlauskas moved to Tel Aviv. The exotic scenery of Palestine served as a great inspiration for the painter who appeared to be highly productive, took part in numerous exhibitions and worked as an art critic. The painter started signing his works under the name of Jacques Koslowsky.

Having spent some time in Palestine, Kazlauskas decided to come back to Europe. The artist settled in Paris, where he studied at École Paris Beaux-Arts from which he graduated in 1932. Kazlauskas established his own studio in Montparnasse, which was attended by Henri Matisse, Chaim Soutine, Michel Kikoïne, Pinchus Krémègne and other famous painters.

During his years in Paris the artist often exhibited his works at the then most famous art salons of Paris. Kazlauskas had not forgotten Lithuania either. During the period of 1930–1938 he often exhibited his art works in Lithuania, too.

In 1940, Kazlauskas was forced to flee from the Nazi-occupied Paris. He then left for New York and in 1946 became a US citizen. In New York the artist illustrated books, worked as a textile designer and exhibited his paintings at a number of art galleries.

In 1947, the painter returned to Europe and again settled in Paris. In 1952, two of the painter’s works became part of the French National Collection. In 1960, Kazlauskas held a personal exhibition in the USA and exhibited his works at the New York City Gallery. In 1966, the painter exhibited his paintings at the Di Salvo Gallery in New York.