Medievalism in early-modern art of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
ENThe medieval revival after the renaissance is a well-known fact for students of culture, especially those concerned with ecclesiastic art and devotional imagery. This observation also holds true for the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. While researching into the development of baroque art in Lithuania, Irena Vaišvilaitė identified social aspects of medieval mentality among boyars and noted their manifestations in written and visual culture of the Grand Duchy under the Catholic Reform. The academic argued that highly representational, retrospective and even xenophobic culture of a lesser nobility retained and nurtured essentially medieval values and thus was particularly attracted by and receptive to baroque pageantry. Although visual and visionary principles of baroque art were gradually introduced in the Lithuanian culture, gentry retained medieval lifestyle and values at least until the middle of the 17th century.1 The present inquiry is concerned with features of medieval art and devotion as expressed in or related to the most venerated images of the Virgin Mary. However, prior to the inquiring into these images and their stories I shall briefly introduce the Lithuanian art and culture of the Middle Ages.
