In the Ruins of War
Created: 1942.
Material / technique: oil on canvas.
Dimensions: 66x88 cm.
The life path of Mykolas Paškevičius (1907–2003) was truly extraordinary. The artist was born in Riga, lived in Vitebsk, Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Minsk. In Vitebsk, he studied under the constructivist Kazimir Malevich. At the Leningrad Academy, he had to adopt socialist realism. After settling in Minsk in 1933, he had to comply with Soviet ideology and adhere to the doctrine of socialist realism in his work. At the outbreak of the Second World War, in 1941 he fled to Lithuania with his family. There he learned to speak Lithuanian, communicated with artists, and participated in exhibitions. However, in 1944 he had to retreat to the West.
Following the twists of Paškevičius's biography, it becomes clear that the painting "In the Ruins of War" was created while the artist was still living in Lithuania, recalling the difficult retreat from the territories of Belarus already occupied by the Nazis. This composition contains no specific references to time or place. We do not learn what event is depicted or who is responsible for this tragedy. The painting reflects the war tragedy in a realistic form, while the gentle pastel color palette seems to suppress the understanding of the meaning of the horrific event. In 1942, the artist lived in Kaunas with his wife, the artist Ona Dokalskaitė-Paškevičienė, and probably had no idea that less than two years later they would have to seek refuge in Kempten and leave Europe permanently in 1949. Having emigrated to the USA, Paškevičius worked in architectural offices.
Reference: Art album "Wanderers of Fate," compiler and lyricist Vilma Gradinskaitė, Vilnius: Ellex Valiunas, 2026.
Exhibitions: Tartle exhibition dedicated to expatriate art “Artists on the Move”, 28 May 2026 — 30 April 2027, Lithuanian Art Knowledge Centre TARTLE, Vilnius.
Published: "More Than Just Beauty. The Image of Woman in the LAWIN collection." Compiled by G. Jankevičiūtė. Vilnius, LAWIN, 2012, Kat. No. 117; "Collection. Lithuanian Collectors' Association magazine". Vilnius, No. 5, 1998, P. 8; "Artwork as a source of history", Compendium of scientific publications. Vilnius, 2016. P. 310; Art album "Wanderers of Fate", compiler and lyricist Vilma Gradinskaitė, Vilnius: Ellex Valiunas, 2026; Art album "Wanderers of Fate" catalogue, compiler and lyricist Vilma Gradinskaitė, Vilnius: Ellex Valiunas, 2026.
Photographs: Display in the Tartle exhibition dedicated to expatriate art “Artists on the Move”, 28 May 2026 — 30 April 2027, Lithuanian Art Knowledge Centre TARTLE, Vilnius, photos by Jonas Balsevičius.