Jusku tapo Justi

Idyll is most often understood as literary genre, depicting idealised rural life, harmonious relationship between man and the environment, less often, as a real, carefree moment of life, love. Its origins go back to the works of Theocritus and Virgil, which later became the basis for the followers of the genre. The acuteness of idyll genre depends on the changes of social environment. Most often it manifests itself as opposed to urban life. It also contains a sense of nostalgia for the ancestral way of life.

In Virgil's works Bucolica and Georgica idyll is manifested as harmonious human relationships with nature, closeness and obedience to its laws, a shepherd or farmer is a person who is best able to live. Such perception of idyll continues to be a fundamental concept until nowadays.

The theme of idyll was developed in Lithuanian literature too. The concept of idyll in The Year by Donelaitis is very close to Virgil, but it takes a certain identity, some shade of patriotism. As for D. Poška’s My Garden, idyll is localised in the personal space, linking the historical and personal experiences, thus the concept is not deviating much from the works of the above authors.

In visual arts idyll is not treated as a separate genre, rather than the specific topic of work, taking into consideration the perception of idyll in the literary genre. Therefore, both in photography and painting works, discussed in the present work, idyll is idealised as the human relationship with the environment. However, each piece of art contains its distinctive idyllic image. For example, Fred Kruger and Jeff Carter in their Australian photographs develop traditional idyllic model – a man in harmony with the environment during the work. Edmund Blampied’s painting rural scene also expresses a similar thought. Frederic Leighton and Maurice Greiffenhagen’s idylls, depicting shepherds/workers resting moments are also traditional. Although M. Greiffenhagen more idealises a man’s love to a woman, typical of his time standards, and F. Leighton motive seems to be taken straight from Virgil's Bucolica. B. Morizot, P. A. Renoir and P. O. Runge differently analyses idyllic images of a mother and a child. So, in essence, while it makes no big sense to squeeze idyll into define frames worth, because each author perceives this topic via the prism of his/her time and personal values, the aim of idyll to disseminate balanced, positive image of the world and man, is indisputable.

The same goal is of my cycle Peace." In it I use idyll to express the ideals of peace within the human inner being both in intimate personal space and in public – in the nature. By the simplicity of motives I try to show the beauty of everyday life, but, ideally, I would like the viewer, the next time being in the situation depicted by me, remembered that he/she just needs to relax, calm down and be in the moment, to accept it, and feel that the world of beauty lingers around.

Considering the fact that, when fifteen people were asked to name the theme of the works, many of them responded as perceiving the peace of mind in them, it can be concluded that the idea of the works is expressed clearly, that the painterly language and reasoning were chosen correctly.

Author: Justina Skučaitė