On this day in 1875, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, a Lithuanian painter, composer, and writer, who contributed to Symbolism and Art Nouveau, and was representative of the fin de siècle epoch, was born. He has been considered one of the pioneers of abstract art in Europe.
1875年的今天，立陶宛画家、作曲家、作家米卡洛尤斯-孔斯坦蒂纳斯-丘尔廖尼斯 (Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis) 诞生了，他对象征主义和新艺术运动做出了巨大贡献，是19「世纪末」文化运动的代表人物。他也被认为是欧洲抽象艺术的先驱之一。
M. K. Čiurlionis lived and worked at the turn of the 20th century, when new movements in art were forming. In his works he expressed ideas and themes that excited people then, and still do today. He also searched for answers to the common questions of human existence. Based on the folk creative mentality, enriched by his interest in different philosophical and religious theories, which were so popular in the Fin-de-Siecle Europe, M. K. Čiurlionis’ art embraced the aspirations of person, nation, and epoch. M. K. Čiurlionis painted seven pictorial sonatas. The artist named them by numbers (the literal titles were adapted later). His pictorial sonatas can be associated with a theory of synesthesia, the fusion of music and art. M. K. Čiurlionis’ pictorial sonatas embody an original approach to the issues of synesthesia. The artist applied to paintings principles of the musical composition, which have associations with the structure of musical forms (such as sonata, fugue, or prelude). He united various motifs from reality, different spatial levels, and moments in time, as well as contrasting symbolic images into a single compositional system (cycle), based on the dynamics of the rhythm.
艺术家丘尔廖尼斯生活和工作在20世纪之交，那时新的艺术运动正在形成。在他的作品中，他所表达的思想和主题都令当时的人们感到兴奋，今天看来也仍是如此。同时，他也在寻找关于人类存在的普遍性问题的答案。丘尔廖尼斯的作品以民间创作性思维为基础，并加入了他对十九世纪末欧洲十分流行的各种哲学和宗教理论的浓厚兴趣，体现了对人、国家和时代的愿景。艺术家绘制了7幅奏鸣曲系列作品并用数字来命名它们（文字的标题是后来经过修订而加的）。他笔下绘画形式的奏鸣曲可以与通感理论联系起来，即音乐与艺术的融合。丘尔廖尼斯的绘画奏鸣曲体现了对通感问题的一种原创处理方法。将与音乐形式结构（如奏鸣曲、赋格或前奏曲）相关的作曲原理应用到绘画中。以节奏的动态性为基础，将现实中的各种主题、不同的空间层次、时间中的时刻，以及对比鲜明的象征性图像统一于一个构图系统（循环）中。
Sonata of the Stars. Allegro. Andante is an artistic vision of outer space. In this sonata the viewer is exposed to fantastical multilayered images. All the compositional elements in the painting are arranged in a complex rhythm of different variations. Portrayal of the third dimension no longer uses the perspective of space, instead opting for overlays of varying opacity. M. K. Čiurlionis envisions the universe as a magnificent polyphonic symphony of intertwining cosmic mists, stars, and sunlight. The waves of this ocean of space—the melodies—eddy and weave past each other, forming a rich, ornamented, and splendid web pierced by the path of the Milky Way. The movement in outer space is not chaotic, but rhythmical and harmonious. The symbol of the order and harmony of the Universe is envisioned as the bright figure of an angel standing on a tapering tower of light.
《星星奏鸣曲。快板》（Sonata of the Stars. Allegro. Andante）是对外太空的一个艺术想象。在这首奏鸣曲中，观众可以看到奇幻的、多层次的图像。这幅画中所有的构成元素都被安排在不同变化的复杂节奏中。对立体感的描绘不再使用空间透视，而是选择了不同透明度的叠加。艺术家把宇宙想象成一首由宇宙迷雾、恒星和阳光交织而成的宏伟的复调交响乐。这片空间海洋的波浪——旋律——彼此交织在一起，形成了一张富丽、华美又绚丽的网，被银河的轨迹贯穿。在这幅作品里，外太空的运动不是混乱的，而是有节奏的，和谐的。宇宙的秩序与和谐的象征被想象成一位明亮的天使站在一个锥形光塔上。
Today we present his work thanks to M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art. : )
感谢丘尔廖尼斯国家艺术博物馆与我们分享今天的作品。 :)
