Paulius Galaunė facts for kids
Paulius Galaunė (born January 25, 1890, in Pagelažiai near Ukmergė – died October 18, 1988, in Kaunas) was a famous Lithuanian art expert. He was also a museum manager and a graphic artist. He was one of the first people in Lithuania to professionally manage museums. Paulius Galaunė wrote many books about Lithuanian folk art.
His home in Kaunas, where he lived with his wife Adelė Nezabitauskaitė (who was an opera singer), became the Galaunė Family Museum in 1995. This museum shows his personal items and his artwork. It is now part of the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum. Paulius Galaunė was buried in Petrašiūnai Cemetery.
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Paulius Galaunė's Career
Between 1910 and 1913, Paulius Galaunė studied at the Institute of Psychoneurology in University of St. Petersburg. He also studied art in Saint Petersburg and Moscow. In 1914, he worked for a magazine called Aušrinė.
When he returned to Lithuania in 1918, he started working at the National Museum of Lithuania. In 1923, he went to the Louvre Museum in Paris for an internship. There, he learned how to manage museums better.
Leading the M. K. Čiurlionis Museum
In 1924, Paulius Galaunė became the director of the M. K. Čiurlionis Gallery. He stayed in this important role until 1949. During his time, the museum changed its name a few times. It became the Vytautas the Great Museum in 1936 and then the M. K. Čiurlionis Art Museum in 1944.
As the museum director, he worked hard to bring back many artworks by the famous artist M. K. Čiurlionis. He made sure these artworks were kept together in a special museum.
Paulius Galaunė was also part of the State Commission of Archaeology from 1919 to 1925 and again from 1930 to 1936. He helped organize exhibitions of Lithuanian folk art in other countries. These shows took place in Italy (1925), France (1927), Sweden, Norway, and Denmark (1931).
He also taught at several universities:
- University of Lithuania (1925–1939)
- Vilnius University (1940–1946)
- Vilnius Academy of Art (1945–1950)
His Artistic Works and Books
As an artist, Paulius Galaunė created many different types of art. He made:
- Graphics
- Covers for books
- Illustrations for books
- Special designs for the beginning of chapters
- Bookplates (small printed labels for books)
His artworks often looked imaginative and had a style called secessionist. This style uses flowing lines and natural shapes.
Paulius Galaunė also loved to collect, study, and organize both folk art and professional art. One of his most important books was Lietuvių liaudies menas (Lithuanian Folk Art), published in 1930. He wrote this book with Justinas Vienožinskis. It was so popular that it was translated into French and Swedish.
Another big project was a six-volume album also called Lietuvių liaudies menas. This huge collection was published between 1956 and 1968. He also prepared and published art albums about:
- Medieval paintings (1926)
- Lithuanian wood carvers (1927)
- Works by M. K. Čiurlionis (1927)
- Art by Mečislovas Bulaka (1936)
- Art by Adomas Galdikas (1969)
Awards and Honors
Paulius Galaunė received many awards for his work:
- Lithuanian Order of Vytautas the Great (1931)
- Latvian Order of the Three Stars (1938)
- Swedish Order of Vasa (1938)
- French Legion of Honour (1939)
- Belgian Order of Leopold II
- National Prize of the Lithuanian SSR (1970)
