Čiurlionis developed a 'musical painting' technique, structuring his canvases to mimic the formal progression of sonatas and preludes.
The museum holds the original copies of all of Čiurlionis's symphonic compositions, including 'In the Forest' and 'The Sea'.
The collection includes rare 19th-century Lithuanian folk wooden sculptures and crosses, many rescued during the Soviet era.
The current building, completed in the 1930s, was designed specifically to house the national collection and functions as an example of interwar Kaunas architecture.
The museum's holdings include an expansive collection of Egyptian, Japanese, and Chinese art, significantly donated by local collectors in the early 20th century.
The M.K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art is the primary repository for the complete creative legacy of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, Lithuania’s most renowned polymath painter and composer. The museum preserves the vast majority of his symphonic paintings, charcoal drawings, and original musical manuscripts. Beyond the namesake artist, the institution houses significant collections of Lithuanian folk art, historical artifacts, and Eastern art. The building is centrally located in Kaunas and features a distinct modernist architectural character. The galleries are organized to allow visitors to experience the progression of Čiurlionis's unique synthesis of visual art and musical theory. The collection spans thousands of works, including significant examples of his symbolist period. It serves as a national cultural hub for preservation and research into Lithuanian modernism.
The main staircase and the central atrium featuring the bust of Čiurlionis.
Download the museum's digital guide or visit the internal listening stations to hear Čiurlionis’s music while viewing the corresponding paintings.
Check for temporary exhibitions in the lower galleries, which frequently host contemporary Lithuanian artists.
Visit the dedicated memorial space to see his personal studio tools and piano.
Do not rush through the galleries; the experience is designed to be contemplative and requires time to absorb the connection between the music and the visuals.
Closed on Mondays and all public holidays.
Maintain a quiet volume; do not touch artwork; professional photography requires prior permission.
