Staneika Adalbertas

Artist, painter. Born in 1885 in Lekės (Poland). Died in 1962 in Vainkot (Pennsylvania). In 1903-1905 he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, in 1909 in Munich, in 1910-1912 in Paris, in 1912-1918 in Rome. From 1908 he participated in art exhibitions: he was a participant in the first exhibitions organized by the Lithuanian Art Society in Vilnius (1907-1908). In 1921-1930 he worked at the Lithuanian Legation in Rome, from 1930 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kaunas. In 1941-1944 he taught at the Kaunas Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts, and had a private painting studio. In 1942-1944 Chairman of the Lithuanian Artists’ Union. In 1944 he left for Germany, and since 1949 he has lived in the USA.

A. Staneika painted portraits of: Žemaitė, Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė, Mykolas Römeris, Kazys Ulianskis, Zigmas Skirgaila, Juozapas Herbačiauskas, Kleopas Jurgelionis (all until 1914), Juozas Tallat-Kelpša, Sofija Čiurlionienė, Petros Rimša (LDM; until 1939). The artist illustrated J. A. Herbačiauskas’ book “The Thorn Wreath” (1908).

Early works are psychological and colorful, while later ones emphasize the appearance of the depicted person more, and there are signs of salon style.