House-Museum of Kazys Varnelis

About

Nestled in the heart of Vilnius Old Town, right next to the Town Hall Square, the Kazys Varnelis House-Museum intertwines a history steeped in Gothic and Renaissance styles with modern art.

The museum building consists of two corps from different periods. The first is the Small Guild (Didžioji St. 26) – a Gothic building, one of the oldest in the square, a contemporary of the first Gothic Town Hall, and the second is the Masalski House (Didžioji St. 24) – an example of Vilnius Renaissance.

In both buildings, Vilnius merchants and members of merchant guilds had shops, warehouses, taverns bustled in the basements, and people lived on the upper floors.

The vaulted Gothic rooms have been restored in the Small Guild, and the living spaces of wealthy townspeople from the Renaissance period in the Masalski House. Architectural details reveal the construction and household features of that time.

Since 2001, the modern art of the 20th-century emigrant artist K. Varnelis, his personal workspace, and his collection of old art, historical furniture, and maps have been exhibited here. This is a museum created by one person – K. Varnelis himself. Contrast, rhythm, and space are the principles of this unconventional exhibition, highlighting the heritage of old architecture.