The exhibition of Litvak painting and sculpture the Colours and Forms of France opened on 5 August 2014 at the Tolerance Centre of the Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum.

Landscapes and still lifes have a special place in the history of painting. The Litvak painters who worked in France in the early and middle 20^th century focussed on the surrounding environment. The natural scenery and urban landscapes painted in the open air had a direct impact on the works of the graduates of the Vilnius Academy of Art such as Marc Chagall (1887–1985), Pinchus Kremenge (1890–1981), and Michel Kikoine (1892–1968) and the representatives of Kaunas School of Fine Arts, Max Band (1900–1974) and Neemija Arbit Blat (1908–1999), who at that time worked in La Ruche (the Hive) studio of the School of Paris. At the exhibition the symbolic-allegoric landscape is represented by artists of several different generations who kept rather close, friendly relations. One of them is the world-famous Marc Chagall. Yet another is Theo Tobiasse (1927–2012), who is almost our contemporary.

Austrian Ambassador Johann Spitzer with his partner Peter Baksy and the new Ambassador of Spain

Head of the French Institute Frederic Bellido is making a welcoming speech (next to Mr Bellido – his assistant Giedrė Bernotaitė–Salfati)

Director of the Lithuanian Expatriate Art Foundation Ugnė Bužinskaitė

Curators of the exhibition: Ieva Šadzevičienė, Ugnė Bužinskaitė

Organisers: Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum, Lewben Art Foundation, Lithuanian Expatriate Art Foundation

Partner: French Institute in Lithuania

Sponsors: Lewben Group, Enercom Capital

Information sponsor: artnews.lt

Opening of the exhibition