Prezidentė Dalia Grybauskaitė sveikina menotyrininkę Mariją Matušukaitę. Džojos Barysaitės nuotr.

The winner of the Lithuanian National Culture and Art Prize, Lithuanina Governmental Art Prize, Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas Order Knight Cross, author of 10 books and many scientific articles and publications, member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association, Lithuanian Architects’ Association, member of honour of the Lithuanian Art Historians’ Association, PhD of Arts Marija Matušakaitė (1924 03 09–2016 06 24) died on the sunny morning of June 24, 2016.

Marija Matušakaitė was born in Varekoniai mansion, Kaunas district on the 9th of March, 1924. She graduated from St. Casimir Nun Congregation Girls’ Gymnasium (later Kaunas 8th Secondary School) in 1941. She studied at Kaunas State University in 1941-48, where she obtained the specialty of an engineer-architect. The art critic studied as a part-time student at the State Art Institute in 1959-95, where she obtained the specialty of an art historian. She worked as an architect at the Architectural Planning Workshop under Vilnius Executive Committee in 1948-49, as an architect in the Republican Planning and Design Trust in Kaunas in 1949-53, as the principal architect at the State Design Institute under the Ministers’ Council of LSSR in 1953-59, as the group manager at the Town and Countryside Construction and Design Institute in Kaunas in 1959-61; as the principal art manager at Vilnius Fashion House in 1961-63, as the group manager at the Town Construction and Design Institute in Kaunas in 1963-65, as a lecturer at Kaunas Polytechnic Institute in Kaunas in 1963-65; as a docent of KPI in 1974-83. She is a member of honour of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association, Lithuanian Architects’ Association, Kaunas Archdiocese Ecclesiastical Art Committee, Lithuanian Art Historians’ Association. The art critic is the winner of the National Culture and Art Prize.

Scientific degrees: Doctor of Art Criticism (1970. Thesis “Sculptural Tombstones of Lithuania of the 16th-17th Century”), Docent (1974). The diplomas were nostrified in 1993.

 

The most important scientific publications

Books:

“Portrait of 16th-18th Century in Lithuania”. Vilnius: Mokslas, 1984.

“Old Portraits of Lithuanian Dukes: Rarity of 1601”. Kaunas: Vytautas Magnus University Publishers, 1997.

“Alters of Processions in Lithuania”. Marijampolė: Ardor, 1998.

“Old Wooden Sculpture and Decorative Carving in Lithuania”. Vilnius: Baltos Lankos, 1998.

“Outfit of the 16th-18th Century in Lithuania”. Vilnius: Aidai, 2003.

“Queen Barbora and Her Images”. Vilnius: Versus Aureus, 2006 (Second amended issue – 2008).

“Lithuanian Sculpture before the Middle of 17th Century”. Vilnius: Aidai, 2007.

“In Memoriam of the Dead: Burial and Marking of Graves in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania”. Vilnius: VAA Publishers, 2009.

Achievements, awards

1947 – 3rd prize in the republican competition for furniture of children’s room.

1950 – 3rd prize in the republican competition for the village council building.

1954 – 3rd prize in the republican competition for a collective-farm dweller’s house (along with V.Antanaitienė).

1958 – 3rd prize in the union competition “The best design of garment for various purposes” for designs.

1959 – 3rd prize in the republican competition for “Furniture for Contemporary Flat”.

1960 – 1st prize in the closed competition "Panevėžys Drama Theatre Projects” (along with A. Kačerauskaitė).

1984 – Letter of honour of the Ministry of Culture of LSSR for active creation (1984);

1984 – Medal of “Veteran of Work” of the Highest Council Presidium of LSSR for longevous honest work.

1998 – Art prize of the Government of Lithuania for the important works for Lithuanian art and culture.

2000 – Diploma of the Lithuanian Art History Association for the best book of art criticism of 1998/1999 “Old Wooden Sculpture and Decorative Carving in Lithuania”.

2007 – Knight’s Cross of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas.

2008 – Award of Kaunas Art Creators’ Association for consistent and authoritative research of Lithuanian art.

2009 – Award of the Lithuanian Art Creators’ Association for exceptional professional art works announced during the latter two years.

2009 – National Culture and Art Prize for authentic revelations of old Lithuanian art.