On October 16th of this year, an exhibition titled “Jonas Rustem—Painter and Educator (1762–1835)” was opened at the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University. The exhibition features works brought from the Ignalina Regional Museum. Jonas Rustem (1762–1835) was the most prominent painter in Vilnius during the first half of the 19th century. He served as a professor at the Drawing and Painting Department of Vilnius University from 1797 to 1832, and from 1811 onwards, he held the title of professor. His artistic work and pedagogical contributions had a significant impact on the development of Lithuanian art in the 19th century.
In 1819, when he became the head of the department and the entire Vilnius School of Art, Jonas Rustem was dedicated to improving art education at Vilnius University. He designed educational programs, oversaw the restructuring of the art departments, coordinated the activities of the Graphics and Sculpture departments and lithography workshops, and ensured the strengthening of the school's material base. He also managed scholarships, internships, awards, and the conferral of academic degrees, as well as the acquisition of artwork for the school's gallery. Additionally, he organized the first group art exhibitions in Vilnius.
Jonas Rustem’s areas of artistic expertise included painting, drawings, cards, live portraits, and architectural decoration for celebrations. In his works, the artist depicted everyday life in Vilnius, featuring colourful characters encountered in the streets and salons, as well as individuals from various ethnic backgrounds (Jews, Turks, Tatars), doctors, peasants, traveling merchants, and others. The exhibition at the Faculty of Medicine provides an opportunity to get acquainted with Jonas Rustem’s art and life. It features informational panels with the most important dates in the artist’s life, self-portraits, and portraits of significant figures of the time, including Doctor Jurgis Reikovskis, Professor Mykolas Riomeris, statesman and public figure Jonas Gvalbertas Rudaminas, Medardas Končius, a participant in the 1830-1831 uprising, Pijus Tiškevičius, a prominent figure in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and Jonas Sniadeckis, an astronomer, mathematician, physicist, and philosopher.
The Faculty of Medicine invites the community to visit the exhibition.
