Prie liaudies meno tyrimo ištakų: ankstyvoji Pauliaus Galaunės tautodailės puoselėjimo veikla

LTStraipsnyje pristatomas žinomo muziejininko, dailės istoriko ir dailininko Pauliaus Galaunės indėlis į tautodailės tyrimus ir jos išsaugojimo praktiką. Išskiriamas plačiajai visuomenei mažiau žinomas ankstyvasis veiklos laikotarpis (XX a. 3–4 dešimtmetis), kuriuo buvo dedami tautodailės mokslinių tyrimų pagrindai, pradėtas liaudies meno rinkimo, populiarinimo ir sisteminimo darbas. Aptariami termino „liaudies menas“ su kūrimo argumentai, atskleidžiamos tautodailės išsaugojimo iniciatyvos, nepraradusios aktualumo ir šiandien. Reikšminiai žodžiai: Paulius Galaunė, liaudies meno tyrimai tarpukariu, tautodailės reprezentacija užsienyje, liaudies meno rinkimas, M. K. Čiurlionio galerija. [Iš leidinio]

ENThe article presents the contribution of the well-known museologist, art historian and artist Paulius Galaunė (1890–1988) to folk art research and preservation. In the 1920s–1930s, the early period of activity, which is less known to the general public, the foundations of folk art research were laid, and collecting, popularising and systematising folk art began. The national identity of Paulius Galaunė began to form early in his life when studying in St. Petersburg. By the time he returned to Lithuania in 1918, he had already decided on a professional choice and perceived his mission as being one to work in the field of culture and art. At the beginning, Paulius Galaunė published articles, calling on society to collect Lithuanian folk art and preserve it from extinction. Eventually, he focused on the fundamental problems of creative folk research and began to apply the same scientific criteria to professional art. The preparation of the substantial work "Lithuanian Folk Art: Fundamentals of the Development of Artistic Forms" (1930) became important in his biography. It was the first publication to discuss the genesis and terminology of Lithuanian folk art, identify its branches, and group the works according to stylistic features. Paulius Galaunė treated folk art as a source from which modern artists could draw inspiration. He spared no effort or time in preserving folk art. After becoming the director of M. K. Čiurlionis Gallery, he invested much energy in organising folk art-collecting expeditions. During the first five years of its existence, the gallery accumulated about 6,000 folk art exhibits. In 1930, following his efforts, the Home Industry Department was established as part of the Chamber of Agriculture.Most of the laws regulating the activities of rural craftsmen were adopted here, and a series of publications, Sodžius menas, was produced. Paulius Galaunė took over the chairmanship of the Home Industry Revival Commission formed here. Lithuania’s presentations at interwar international exhibitions and the country’s image largely depended on Paulius Galaunė’s taste and his vision of the country’s uniqueness, which was presented in folk art and artistic works symbolising the ethnographic past. At that time, his expositions of folk art in world exhibitions established the image of Lithuania as a country with a deep national tradition. Keywords: Paulius Galaunė, folk art research during interwar period, folk art representation abroad, collecting of folk art, M. K. Čiurlionis Gallery. [From the publication]