Allegro (Sonata of the Sun) 1907

Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, a Lithuanian artist and composer, painted Allegro in the early 20th century. Čiurlionis, straddling the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, was deeply entwined with the cultural and political aspirations of Lithuania. Čiurlionis, who was part of the symbolist movement, sought a synthesis of music and painting. Here, visual elements mirror musical structures, exploring themes of light and cosmic harmony. The composition, dominated by celestial motifs, resonates with a longing for spiritual and cultural identity—a sentiment that was palpable in Lithuania, which was then under Tsarist Russian rule. The rhythmic repetition of sun-like forms may be an attempt to articulate a sense of cultural renaissance, a visual allegro that celebrates the potential for renewal and self-discovery amidst oppression. Čiurlionis sought to capture, as he put it, "the boundlessness of the world." The work encapsulates the personal and collective yearning for cultural expression and spiritual transcendence.