“I will try to arrange things in the future so that we can once again go down to the seashore, but no longer just for a walk, but to travel” (from a letter to his brother Povilas, Leipzig, [1902] April 20 / May 3)

The sea and the mountains—these were the sources of inspiration for M. K. Čiurlionis, which encouraged him, both in thought and in life, to rise higher, fly farther, and gaze wider and deeper—from the bottom of the sea to the highest mountain peaks.

Taught by his father, an organist, Konstantinas was already playing from sheet music by the age of 7. Music was his first language as an artist. Living in Druskininkai, he spent his childhood by the Nemunas River, the Ratnyčėlė River, and the lakes of Dzūkija. When he left to study music in Plungė, he looked forward to trips to Palanga on the Baltic Sea, where he could not only admire the sea but also go swimming. After leaving for the Warsaw Music Institute (1894–1899), and later to the Leipzig Conservatory (1901–1902), he had to bid the sea a brief farewell, but he sought to capture his memories of it in music—beginning in 1903, he composed the symphonic poem “The Sea.”

Possessing the unique ability to see music and hear images, M. K. Čiurlionis took up painting in 1903—he attended drawing classes with Jan Kauzikas and later studied at the Warsaw School of Fine Arts (1904–1906). He did not abandon music—he composed melodies and harmonized Lithuanian folk songs. In his painting, he sought ways to combine music and art, and he did so very successfully. The sea, mountains, and sun are recurring motifs throughout his work.

The opportunity to see the sea again—this time the Black Sea—was provided by his friend and patron Bronislava Wolman, who in 1905 invited M. K. Čiurlionis and his friends to spend their vacation at the Anapa resort on the Black Sea. There, the artist also revealed himself as a photographer—he brought back a small photo album he had created himself from the trip.

In Anapa, M. K. Čiurlionis also beheld the mighty, inspiring mountains. In the composer’s and painter’s work, the mountain represents both a destination and a journey, a search for the self, discoveries, and spiritual elevation.

Later, after meeting his future wife, Sofija Kymantaitė, the sea became a symbol of their love. Palanga, the bridge to the sea, and their shared plans to write the opera *Jūratė*—these defined their summer of love in 1908 by the Baltic Sea. “That month in Palanga—a dream unlike any other. <...> Long walks, always making sure we were at the seashore for sunset. <...> And so that summer slipped by in the blink of an eye. Fiancés. Love amidst a sky of rosy clouds—Slovackis’ poetry and what our life would be like—a life of creativity.” (From S. Čiurlionienė’s memoirs).

The exhibition was on display:

At the Kaunas District Municipal Public Library, November 4–30, 2025.
At the Liudvikas Rėza Cultural Center, July 3–August 10, 2025.
In the lobby of the Plungė District Municipal Public Library, June 2–26, 2025;
At the Klaipėda Drama Theater, May 7–27, 2025;
At the Government Palace, December 23, 2024 – February 1, 2025;
At the Lithuanian Maritime Academy, July 19 – December 1, 2023.

The exhibition consists of:

1. Information banners (4 pieces, in Lithuanian)

2. Photocopies of photographs from the “Anapa” album, 1905.

There are a total of 40 copies of photographs (you may select the desired number or display all of them)

Frame dimensions: 55 x 45 cm.

3. Reproductions of paintings by M. K. Čiurlionis (19):

News. 1904/5. Paper, pastel, 64.2 x 90.7 cm. Frame 86.5 x 11.5 cm.
Fairy Tale (Castle Fairy Tale). 1909. Cardboard, tempera, 49.6 x 67.1 cm. Frame 71.5 x 88 cm
The Altar. 1909. Cardboard, tempera, 58.8 x 58.9 cm. Frame 81 x 80 cm.
Angel (Angel’s Prelude). 1909. Paper, tempera, 50 x 53.7 cm. Frame 71.5 x 75 cm.
Sonata No. 5 (Sonata of the Sea). Allegro. 1908. Paper, tempera, 73 x 63 cm. Frame 95 x 84 cm.
Sonata No. 5 (Sonata of the Sea). Andante. 1908. Paper, tempera, 73.1 x 62.2 cm. Frame 95 x 84 cm.
Sonata No. 5 (Sonata of the Sea). Finale. 1908. Paper, tempera, 73.2 x 63 cm. Frame 95 x 84 cm.
The Sun is Passing the Sign of Aquarius. I of the 12-painting series “Zodiac.” 1906/7. Paper, tempera, 35.9 x 31.1 cm. Frame: 53 x 47.5 cm.
The Sun is Passing the Sign of Pisces. II of the 12-painting series “The Zodiac.” 1906/7. Paper, tempera, 35.7 x 30.6 cm. Frame: 53 x 47.5 cm.
The Sun is Passing the Sign of Aries. III of the 12-painting series “The Zodiac.” 1906/7. Paper, tempera, 36 x 31.1 cm. Frame: 53 x 47.5 cm.
The Sun is Passing the Sign of Taurus. IV of the 12-painting series “The Zodiac.” 1906/7. Paper, tempera, 35.6 x 30.1 cm. Frame 53 x 47.5 cm.
The Sun is Passing the Sign of Gemini. V of the 12-painting series “Zodiac.” 1906/7. Paper, tempera, 35.6 x 30.1 cm. Frame: 53 x 47.5 cm.
The Sun is Passing the Sign of Cancer. VI of the 12-painting series “Zodiac.” 1906/7. Paper, tempera, 36 x 30.9 cm. Frame 53 x 47.5 cm.
The Sun is Passing the Sign of Leo. VII of the 12-part series “The Zodiac.” 1906/7. Paper, tempera, 35.7 x 30.5 cm. Frame: 53 x 47.5 cm.
The Sun is Passing the Sign of Virgo. VIII of the 12-painting series “The Zodiac.” 1906/7. Paper, tempera, 35.6 x 31.3 cm. Frame: 53 x 47.5 cm.
The Sun is Passing the Sign of Libra. IX of 12 in the series “The Zodiac.” 1906/7. Paper, tempera, 36 x 31.2 cm. Frame: 53 x 47.5 cm.
The Sun is Passing the Sign of Scorpio. X of the 12-painting series “The Zodiac.” 1906/7. Paper, tempera, 35.6 x 30.6 cm. Frame: 53 x 47.5 cm.
The Sun is Passing the Sign of Sagittarius. XI of the 12-painting series “Zodiac.” 1906/7. Paper, tempera, 36.1 x 31.2 cm. Frame: 53 x 47.5 cm.
The Sun is Passing the Sign of Capricorn. XII of the 12-painting series “Zodiac.” 1906/7. Paper, tempera, 35.8 x 31 cm. Frame: 53 x 47.5 cm.

The mobile exhibition is owned by the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art.

For inquiries regarding the traveling exhibition, please contact the museum by email at mk@ciurlionis.lt

Two Elements of M. K. Čiurlionis : the Sea and the Mountains.

Two Elements of M. K. Čiurlionis : the Sea and the Mountains.