M. K. Čiurlionis and Marianne Von Werefkin: Their Paths and Watersheds
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M. K. ČIURLIONIS AND MARIANNE VON WEREFKIN: THEIR PATHS AND WATERSHEDS LAIMA LAUČKAITE Institute of Culture, Philosophy and Art, Vilnius At the start of the twentieth century, the modern art world was marked by close international ties among the artists of Paris, St. Petersburg,.Munich, Berlin, and Moscow. The work of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, however, be came available to avant-garde artists of the time only after 1911: at large posthumous exhibitions in Moscow (1911/ 1912), and St. Petersburg and at a post-impressionist show in London (1912), where a few of his paintings were displayed. He must have been known earlier, however, because in 1910 he was invited to participate in an exhibition of the German avant-garde group Neue Künstlervereinigung München (The New Artists Association of Munich).1 Although the invitation came late2 and Čiurlionis's works were not sent to this show, the very fact of the invitation deserves attention. It indicates that his work had to be known not only to Lithuanian, Russian, and Polish avant-garde artists but also to the Germans. This invitation—a mysterious and little-examined 1 We know about this invitation from a letter by Mrs. Sofija Čiurlionis to M. Dobuzhinsky written on October 18, 1910. Sec M, K. Čiurlionis. Laiškai Sofijai, Vilnius, 1973, p. 163. 2 It is not clear why Mrs. Čiurlionis in the above mentioned letter complains that the invitation arrived too late, when the exhibit started in late December. Ibid. (From the photostat copy published in this issue, it can be seen that the invitation left in June and the reply had to arrive by August. Editor's Note.) 26 moment in Čiurlionis's biography—raises the following question: Who of the New Artists Association of Munich could have known Čiurlionis's work and suggested inviting him to this group's exhibition? Formed in 1909 in Munich, the association was made up of young artists resolved to search for new paths in art. A dis tinct feature of the group was its internationalism. The initia tors were the Russian artists Wassily Kandinsky, Alexej von Jawlensky, Marianne von Werefkin, and Gabriele Munter. Members included the German artists Alexander Kanoldt and Adolf Erbslöh and the Austrian Alfred Kubin. The Russians Wladimir von Bechtejeff, Alexander Sacharoff, and Moissey Kogan and the Italian Erma Bossi immediately joined the group. The French artists Pierre Girieud and Henri le Fauconnier joined in 1910, The German painter Franz Marc in 1911; and the Russian Alexander Mogilevsky in 1912. This international group collaborated with the artistic avant-garde of Paris, St. Petersburg, and Moscow. The associ ation mounted several exhibitions in Munich. In 1909 only the group's members participated. In 1910/1911 they invited French, Russian, and artists of other nationalities—Vladimir Burliuk, Georges Braque, Andrė Derain, Kees van Dongen, Pablo Picasso, Maurice de Vlaminck; these also participated in the 1911/1912 show. The exhibitions were not uniform stylistically, containing clear examples of Fauvism, primitiv- ism, synthėtisme, and cubism. Although the association did not survive for long, its significance for the history of modern art is indicated by the fact that when this group dissolved in 1911 some of its members founded the noted German expres sionist group Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider). Čiurlionis was among the invitees to the second, the most significant and extensive, exhibition of 1910/1911. Who of the association's members could have seen his works? The invitation, it seems, was signed by Kandinsky, the leader of the group; thus the first thought is that he recommended 27 Čiurlionis.3 Moreover, in 1949 art historian Aleksis Rannit raised the hypothesis that Kandinsky knew the work of Čiurlionis and that the latter deserves the title of the founder of abstract art. However, Nina Kandinsky and art critic Will Grohmann, a specialist in Kandinsky's work, asserted that Kandinsky had not seen Čiurlionis's art before creating his own first nonfigurative works. The dispute arose over the following fateful question: Who deserves the name of the founder of abstract art, Kandinsky or Čiurlionis? Both sides wanted to win this debate unconditionally. Kandinsky could not have seen Čiurlionis's abstract works because the cycles of the Lithuanian artist that show signs of abstractionism were exhibited only in Vilnius and Kaunas. Creation of the World was displayed at the first Lithuanian Art Exhibition in 1908, while Winter Cycle was shown at the Second Lithuanian Art Exhibition in 1909. Perhaps Kandinsky could have seen Čiurlionis's paintings in Russia in 1910? This hypothesis must also be rejected because Čiurlionis's works were shown in the Seventh Exhibition of the Sojuz russkich chudoznikov (Union of Russian Artists) in Moscow at the end of 1909/beginning of 1910 and in St. Petersburg during February and March of 1910, but Kandinsky only visited Moscow in October and St. Petersburg in November of 1910. Thus the two artists missed each other.4 Among the members of the Munich Association there was, however, another artist who maintained close ties not only with Russia but also with Lithuania: Marianne von 3 Their paths crossed for the first time in 1904, when Čiurlionis was a student at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, and Kandinsky in October of the same year had an exhibition in the Salon of Krywult, Warsaw. See Polskie życie artystyczne iv latach 1890-1918, Wroclaw-Warszawa-Krakow, 1967, p. 73. 4 Jelena Hahl-Koch. Kandinsky. Stuttgart, 1993, p. 134. For documents on this subject, see M. K. Čiurlionis-Painter and Composer. Collected Essays and Notes, 1906-1989. Vilnius: Vaga, 1994, pp. 210-231. 28 Werefkin (in Lithuanian, Mariana Veriovkina). The paths of her life and work often paralleled those of Čiurlionis—some times they passed each other, sometimes they diverged, sometimes they converged. Jelena Hahl-Koch, a noted Kandinsky expert and curator of the Lenbachhaus Gallery in Munich, was the first to hypothesize that von Werefkin was the only member of The New Association of Munich Artists to have seen Čiurlionis's work.5 Marianne von Werefkin (1860-1938), a painter of Russian extraction, spent her youth in Lithuania because her father had an estate not far from Utena. She studied at Moscow's School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture and took private lessons with the painter Ilya Repin in St. Petersburg. Her early paintings—realistic portraits character ized by pictoriality and sketchy strokes—were exhibited in peredvizhniki shows ("Wanderers movement," so called be cause of their traveling exhibits). In 1896, together with the Russian painter Alexej von Jawlensky, von Werefkin went to Munich to further her studies and lived there until World War I. Energetic, intellectual, and talented, she quickly be came involved in Munich's avant-garde movement. She cre ated her own salon, which was frequented by artists, musi cians, writers, politicians, Munich's bohemians and aristo crats. She "knew everyone and everything" in the art world. Continually visited by Russia's artists and other cultural fig ures, her home became an unusual cultural "embassy" in Munich. Sometimes von Werefkin would return to Lithuania, which she considered her homeland. Having studied mate rial yet unknown to Western art criticism (her abundant epis tolary legacy housed in the manuscript section of the Jelena Hahl-Koch. "Mariannne Werefkins russisches Erbe." Marianne Werefkin. Gemälde und Skizzen. 28 09 80-23 11 80, Museum Wiesbaden, p. 35. 29 Lithuanian National Martynas Mažvydas Library), I can af firm that she really did visit Lithuania several times in the early part of the twentieth century, i.e., during 1909/1910 and in 1914. In late 1909/early 1910 Marianne von Werefkin, be cause of a leg ailment, had a lengthy stay in Kaunas with her brother Peter von Werefkin, who was then governor of Kaunas. This visit is described in detail in her letters to her artist friend von Jawlensky in Munich. She describes her daily activities, events, visits, acquaintances, reflections on art, and so on. Čiurlionis is not mentioned in these letters. At the time, she would have been unable to see his work in Kaunas or even run into him since Čiurlionis was already ill and being treated in St. Petersburg and Druskininkai. She must have heard of him, however, and seen the Lithuanian Art Society's notecard reproductions of his work. In 1908, the Second Lithuanian Art Exhibition was transferred from Vilnius to Kaunas; it included a large collec tion of Čiurlionis's works. This show was not an ordinary event in the artistic life of Kaunas at the beginning of the twentieth century and enjoyed a great success with the pub lic. During the opening ceremonies Peter von Werefkin gave an enthusiastic welcoming speech. A cultured, well-read man, Peter was the closest family member to Marianne. According to her letters, during her Kaunas visit, she spent long evenings with him discussing life, creative work, peo ple. Evenings Peter and I both stay up late into the night. And in front of our minds' eyes parade all the negative aspects of this life, all that debases it and converts events and people into nightmares. But in the morning—again the miracles of the visible world. These days spent together with Peter gave much to my soul—all only good. And they gave much to my consciousness—all only bad. Sorrow becoming a physical 30 pain, sorrow for all that is good which is disappearing in Russia—that was the result.6 Marianne painfully experienced the triviality of narrow- minded provincial life and interests: Job and family concerns—the firm foundation, a bonus and promotion—pleasant fantasies, scandals—daily bread, and their joys remind one of those "common folk" sweets that you wouldn't dare put in your mouth.