Sienų tapyba Perlojos bažnyčioje
Wall painting in the Perloja Church

Summary/Abstract: The article provides a short introduction of the wall painting of the Perloja church, a work that has previously been little known in the historiography of art studies. Using the sgraffito and al secco techniques of decoration, it was finished in 1943 by the famous artist, educator, researcher of old painting and renovator Jurgis Hopenas and co-authors in conjunction with the “Statyba” company. Among the artists who worked with him were his pupils Leonardas Torvirtas, Ona Torvirtienė, Ignas Bagdonavičius, Edvardas Sinkevičius, and Leonardas Januškevičius. Drawing on the story behind the decoration in Lentvaris church, which was executed in 1942-3 by the same group of artists (a subject that has already been discussed in Polish historiography), and on the documents kept in the archives of the Perloja church, the article examines the circumstances under which this wall painting was created. It discusses also the iconographic program of the decor, which consistently expresses the idea of the grace of God in the artistic compositions of the church porch, arches of the nave and transept, and chancel. The main theme is combined with patriotic motifs, which were of obvious relevance in the wartime.

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