Activities of the Art History Section of the Society of Friends of Science in Vilnius in 1931–1939: Contributing to the Knowledge and Dissemination of the History of Vilnius Art

Abstract

The article examines the contribution of the Art History Section of the Society of Friends of Science in Vilnius to the knowledge and dissemination of the history of Vilnius art during its existence, from 1931 to 1939. The Section has not been researched in detail yet and has been mentioned only in the context of the general activities of the Society. The study revealed that the founding fathers and the first members of the Section were professors of the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Humanities of Stefan Batory University in Vilnius, who researched and promoted the history of art in Poland and the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania, especially in Vilnius. During the period of the Section’s activity, twenty-six members were its members, including art historians, archivists, archaeologists, architects, ethnographers, artists, and clergy. Not only members of the Section, but also other members of the Society of Friends of Science in Vilnius as well as students, teachers, and city’s residents interested in art history attended the presentations and discussions of the Section. Publishing was another very important field of activity of the Section. A series of publications (three volumes in total) under the general title Prace i materiały sprawozdawcze Sekcji Historji Sztuki (Works and Reports of the Art History Section) were published in 1935–1939. These publications (sent to libraries in Vilnius and other cities, scholarly and cultural institutions, societies and other public organizations cooperating with the Society of Friends of Science in Vilnius) greatly contributed to the dissemination of knowledge about the monuments of art of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, especially in Vilnius, and their creators.