Petras Repšys. Day 7: Etchings

Petras Repšys is one of the major heroes in the grand narrative of Lithuanian modernism. However, he became part of the canon without fitting into the framework established by the latter. After graduating in graphic art from the LSSR State Institute of Art in 1967, Repšys went on to make paintings, medals, and sculptures. He decorated several interiors using techniques that were forgotten in the 20th century – encaustic and al fresco (painting on wet plaster). The most famous of these works is the fresco The Seasons (1974–1986) at the Department of Lithuanian Studies of Vilnius University. According to the artist, he would rest from the intense, physically and psychologically exhausting work of painting frescoes by making etchings. No matter what he designed, be it medals, altars, or monuments, Repšys would always find time for graphic art. This field of his oeuvre includes drawings in various techniques, linocuts and etchings, book illustrations, and bookplates. The publication presents five etching series.

Combining the forms of a catalogue and a bibliophile publication, this book is dedicated to Petras Repšys’ 85th anniversary and completes the catalogue series initiated by the artist himself, which sums up his artistic legacy in its entirety.

To enrich the catalogue with features characteristic of a bibliophile book, we decided to publish it in a small edition of 250 copies, making five versions of the publication that differ in an autographed etching by Repšys pasted at the end.