Sonata No 6 (Sonata of the Stars)

Today we have a musical painting: Andante from Sonata no. 6 (Sonata of the Stars). The masterpiece, created by M. K. Čiurlionis, the most famous Lithuanian Symbolist, is a nod to his interest in nature, cosmos, and Lithuanian myths. While the painting seems to exist as a fantasy, our attention is drawn to the dark yet shining line—the bright Milky Way, separating the physical and angel realms. 

During Čiurlionis’ lifetime, before the arrival of bright artificial lights, the nighttime skies would have been illuminated with stars, with the Milky Way clearly visible on summer nights, a bright strip crossing the sky. Its direction coincides with the area birds migrate towards in autumn, so it is not surprising that in Lithuanian folklore the ghosts of the dead were believed to depart in the same direction, their souls embodied by the migrating birds. These souls lived in the Spirit Place (Dausos), which they reached by crossing the Milky Way (translated as the Bird Path in Lithuanian).

We mustn’t forget that this painting is also a part of a sonata. Andante in music reflects on the mood of the theme: we can feel the slow turn of the planet, the steady steps of an angel lost in thought. This meditative piece invites us to look up in the cosmos and wonder about our place in it.

In 2025, M. K. Čiurlionis turns 150. To celebrate this milestone, the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art invites us to take a closer look at his paintings, together with like-minded visionary contemporaries and modern artists, in a celebratory exhibition: From Amber to the Stars. Together with M. K. Čiurlionis: Now and Then (March 21st to October 12th, 2025). Of course we present this beautiful piece thanks to the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art.  :)

P.S. Curious to know more about the art of today's mysterious artist? Dive into the world of fairy tales with Čiurlionis!