Petras Rimša

Petras Rimša (3 November 1881 in Naudžiai, Vilkaviškis district – 2 October 1961 in Kaunas) was one of the first professional Lithuanian sculptors and medalists.

Rimša was born to a family of farmers in Suvalkija, which was then part of Congress Poland. He was educated privately in Warsaw under Pius Weloński (1900–1903), at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Antonin Mercié (1903–1904), and Cracow Academy of Fine Arts under Konstanty Laszczka (1904–1905). However, he never graduated and never received any degrees. After return to Lithuania in 1905, he immersed in various Lithuanian cultural activities. Rimša was involved in founding of the Lithuanian Art Association and organizing the first national art exhibition in 1907. He exhibited his first realistic and patriotic works, which gained him recognition in Lithuania. He returned to education studying at the Drawing School of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts in Saint Petersburg from 1909 to 1911. After the studies he remained in Russia, participating in Lithuanian activities and exhibitions of Russian impressionists. He experimented with metal inlays and graphic works, which were influenced by Japonism and Art Nouveau. In 1919 he returned to Vilnius, Lithuania. However, after the Polish takeover of the Vilnius Region he moved to Kaunas. This experience left Rimša with strong anti-Polish feelings, which were often reflected in his medals. He lived in Berlin in 1920–1924, visiting Italy, Great Britain, France, and toured United States in 1935–1938. After World War II, Lithuania was turned into the Lithuanian SSR, one of the republics of the Soviet Union. Rimša was acceptable to Soviet authorities and he continued to create, though his works often had to reflect Soviet symbolism and ideology. In 1954, he was awarded the title of People's Artist. He died in 1961 and was buried in Petrašiūnai Cemetery.

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