24 March 2025

Presentation of the Baroque Bestseller of Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski at the Exhibition

Exactly four centuries have passed since the first publication of Sarbiewski’s poetry collection “Three Books of Lyrics” in Cologne, Germany, in 1625, which made him famous in Europe. Researchers of ancient literature claim that the topics the poet wrote about are still relevant today. After the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania declared 2025 the Year of Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski and Baroque Literature, the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania prepared a series of events for visitors: five single-exhibit exhibitions and two events.

Ona Dilytė-Čiurinskienė, a researcher of ancient literature and a doctor of humanities, notes that universal things can be found in Sarbiewski’s poetry, things that are still moving and important today. “Many of his meditative, reflective, and philosophical poems, in which he combines the traditions of ancient and Stoic thinking, the teachings of the Jesuit founder Ignatius Loyola, and St. Augustine, reflect on what is important in life and what is not. A person must create some kind of a core, the “inner fortress” so that he would not be affected by time, intrigues, or death,” - one of the most prominent researchers of Sarbiewski’s work has publicly said about temporality and eternity.

“Blessed is the one who, in a fleeting moment,

Desires not too much, nor clings to what has passed.

Who sees time’s yoke already loosened,

Lifts his gaze to the heavens, beholds starlit flames,

Like lanterns of his childhood home, shining in the dusk.”

Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski (from Latin to Lithuanian translated by E. Ulčinaitė)

The exhibition features an exceptional edition of Sarbiewski’s poetry collection, which brought him fame across the Europe. “This is the poetry collection "Lyricorum libri IV" ("Four Books of Lyrics"), published in Antwerp in 1632 by the Plantin-Moretus Printing House - one of the most famous printing houses in Europe of that time”. The title page of the book is decorated with an illustration by the famous Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), a friend of the Plantin-Moretus Printing House, engraved by the Antwerp engraver Cornelis Galle (1576–1650).

Poetry of Sarbiewski had an impact during later centuries as well. From the poet’s death until the end of the 18th century the lyric collections were reissued more than 50 times, the poetry was translated into English, German, French, Italian, Czech, Polish, Lithuanian, and was also imitated by many poets of the 17th and 18th centuries,” says Viktorija Vaitkevičiūtė Verbickienė PhD, the Head of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Unit of the National Library.

In May, the National Library will also invite the fans of Baroque to two events. A poetry reading event “Baroque of Vilnius in Poetry” (21^st of May), dedicated to a poetic dialogue about the Baroque of Vilnius between poets of two different generations: poets Aidas Marčėnas and Tomas Venclova, who both are associated with Vilnius very closely, will read their poems on the theme of the Baroque of Vilnius, comment on them, and present their views on the Baroque of Vilnius. The discussion “Baroque Yesterday and Today” (27^th of May) will be dedicated to defining the “code” of the Baroque and its traces in Lithuanian culture of today: researchers from different fields of art will discuss the relevance of the Baroque.

Throughout this cycle of events and exhibitions, the National Library opens to its visitors only a small portion of the magnificent documentary heritage of the Baroque era preserved in its funds. These funds are always accessible to visitors.

Briefly about the exhibition

Date

from 24th of March to 18th of May

Time

library working hours

Place

National Library’s Atrium, 3rd floor

Attendance

free

Important

the opening of the exhibition will be held in English

More information

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