Rapolo Slizienio dailės ryšiai

ENThe biography of sculptor Rapolas Slizienis (Rafał Slizień, 1804-1881) contains quite a few grey areas. Given this context and for want of sufficient documents to fully understand, grasp, and appraise the artistic biography of Rapolas Slizienis, the environment of the sculptor and his artistic and other kinds of relationships with as well as opinions of his peers have appeared to be quite valuable. And so this article aims to introduce new information about the artist based on entries in ego-documents of his contemporaries. It is a known fact that Slizienis was friends with Vincentas Smakauskas (Wincent Smokowski) and Aleksandras Orlovskis (Alexander Orłowski), and that his relationship with Jonas Rustemas (Jan Rustem) extended beyond that of teacher and student. Letters and diaries by painter Edvardas Jonas Romeris (Edward Jan Römer, 1806-1878) show he knew Rapolas Slizienis quite well, and had known him since they both were students at Vilnius University.His ego-documents provide a reflection of the relationship between the Slizienis family and the Römers, opinions on Rapolas Slizienis’s work, the creative kitchen of Aleksandras Orlovskis that the sculptor had inspired. They also provide a resource that tells us about Slizieniss sculpture classes for Alfredas Romeris (Alfred Römer) and his influence on the latter artists choice to become a medal-maker. Mykolas Juozapas Romeris (Römer), father of Edward Jan and godfather to Rapolass son Valdemaras (Waldemar), described his visits at the Slizienis place in Vilnius. The Römers’ opinions on the creative work and lifestyle of Rapolas Slizienis are enhanced with colourful quotations from their diaries.