Lithuanian Art Fund

Antanas Smetona

Author: Zikaras Juozas, 1881 - 1944

Created: the fourth decade of the 20th century.

Material / technique: bronze, small plaquette.

Dimensions: 6,9X4,8; 117 g.

Signature: J. Zikaras (at the bottom of the right side).

Politician and President of the First Republic of Lithuania.

Portrait sculpture in the work of Juozas Zikaras takes a special place. Being one of the greatest masters of portrait Zikaras created a whole gallery of images of Lithuania’s prominent people. He produced almost one hundred portrait sculptures alone. Most notable are portrait sculptures of the architect Mykolas Songaila, Vydūnas, Jonas Šliūpas (1922), Liudvika Didžiulienės-the Wife (1924), Jonas Basanavičius (1926), Maironis (1928), a surgeon Vladas Kuzma (1930), Petras Vaičiūnas (1931), Vladimiras Dubeneckis (1931), Mikas Petrauskas (1934-1936), etc. Most of bas relief portraits are composed in profile (except for the en face portrait of Didžiulienė-the Wife).

Today five plaquettes Antanas Smetona are known: one is among the holdings of M.K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum, one is in the collection of Edmundas Armoška, one in the collection of Zenonas Pažarauskas, and one in the collection of Zigfridas Jankauskas. The fifth one is known to be held at the office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania.

Reference: "Kolekcija. Lietuvos kolekcininkų asociacijos žurnalas". Vilnius, Nr. 7, 1999, P. 37.

Published: "XXXIV Vilniaus aukcionas" (catalogue). - Meno rinkos agentūra, 2014 m. spalio 3 d., Kat. Nr. 100, P. 52.