Press releases

MINSK, 25 April (BelTA) – Leon Bakst’s Time and Art expo will open in Vilnius on 29 April, BelTA learned from the Culture Ministry of Belarus. The international project dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of world-famous artist, stage set and costume designer Leon Bakst started in the National Art Museum of Belarus on 9 February this year. As part of the project Minsk hosted a series of thematic lectures, curatorial excursions, movie club gatherings, presentation of the essay “Leon Bakst: Firebird’s Life” by Vladimir Schastny.

The expo features works of different genres, from paintings to costume and set designs. All in all, it is composed of over 200 works from the museums of Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Russia. The expo also includes seven works by the artist from the collection of Belgazprombank, the owner of the largest private collection of Leon Bakst's easel works in Eastern and Central Europe. One of the most famous exhibits is the painting “Bathers on the Lido, Venice” bought from an English collector. It also features lithographic printings from the holdings of the National Art Museum, the set and costume designs from the Saint Petersburg State Museum of Theater and Music.

After its initial Minsk run, the expo is moving to Vilnius and then will travel to Riga. The tour will finish in Grodno, the artist's birthplace.

The international art project has been organized with the support of Belgazprombank.

Leon Bakst (Lev Rosenberg) was born in Grodno in 1866. He was a co-founder of the World of Art artistic movement and the journal of the same name. Leon Bakst made a name for himself as a scene painter for Sergei Diaghilev with the Ballets Russes. He produced scenery for Cleopatra (1909), Scheherazade (1910), Narcisse (1911), Daphnis et Chloe (1912). Today his works are displayed at the world's most prestigious museums.

The culture ministries of Belarus and Lithuania are planning to sign a program of cooperation for 2016-2018 in Vilnius, the Belarusian Culture Ministry informed.