This is the largest painting ever created by Čiurlionis. It embodies one of the most frequently occurring motifs in the artist's work. This painting portrays a fully formed perception of the ruler of the Universe, the universal spirit of the world. The artist combines the concept of God from various religions, adding various elements of his own imagining.

“Rex” fulfils the idea of a world constructed of four principal elements: fire (the flame at the altar), water (the ocean), earth and air. The separation of the painting into many realms is reminiscent of an idea that can be found in the work of Camille Flammarion about the existence of many worlds that allow travelling souls to know the greatness of the Universe. Every stage of this journey raises them to a higher level of spiritual development.

This painting features the emergence of dualism, a quality that is not emphasized in any of Čiurlionis' other works. Here the viewer can see two rulers reigning over the world – a dark one and a light one. This is the centre of the Universe and the axis of the world.

It is in this painting that the painter's inclination towards synthesis becomes apparent: he attempts to combine all of his areas of interest into one whole by incorporating what he finds to be acceptable ideas from the Bible, Hindu and Egyptian mythology, theosophical writings, astronomy and other fields of science as well as his own personal experiences.

"Rex" was exhibited at these exhibitions:

"M. K. Čiurlionis: The Inner Constellation" at the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, (Japan), March 28th – June 14th, 2026;
"Van Gogh and the Stars" at the Van Gogh Foundation, Arles (France), June 1st – September 8, 2024;
"M. K. Čiurlionis: Between Worlds" at Dulwich picture gallery, London (United Kingdom), September 21st, 2022 - March 12th, 2023;
“The Wild Souls: Symbolism in the Art of the Baltic States” at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, France, 9th April - 15th July, 2018;
"M. K. Čiurlionis (1875-1911): Dreaming of Lithuania" at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent (Belgium), 21st September - 15th December, 2013;
"Čiurlionis. Esoteric Trip 1875-1911" at the Palazzo Reale in Milan (Italy), 13th November, 2010 - 13th February 13, 2011

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Location

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