Reproductions of the project for a monument to Adam Mickiewicz in Vilnius by Henryk Kuna. The project was made in plaster in 1933. The reproductions were published in the journal "Sztuki Piękne",1933, no. 7, pp. 270-274 (public domain, reprinted from the Library of the University of Silesia, Katowice) and illustrated an article by Helena Blumówna entitled "The monument to Adam Mickiewicz in Vilnius". "Henryk Kuna. Due to the outbreak of the Second World War, the monument was not completed. The stone slabs originally intended to be on its pedestal were placed around the present monument unveiled in 1984.

A modernised reading of the text

Henryk Kuna.

European sculpture of the 20th century already shows a decisive face in its early days. Although Rodin, whose work was so dominant over the entire previous epoch, was still alive, when new values were established in sculpture, the very foundations of its formation changed, and not only in one area of art. It takes place in architecture and in the visual arts simultaneously and independently, although on the basis of the same formative principles, in contrast to the preponderance of painting in 19th century art, and shifts the focus to these areas. In sculpture, the longing for a new form is awakened: it crystallises slowly and matures.

Form is derived from the solid as such: the three-dimensional solid is the most essential element. Modern visual art does not contradict its essential assumptions, since its fundamental feature is the compactness of the mass, which the artist fully preserves, in contrast to Rodin's painting style, which is fond of restless planes. In order to emphasise compactness, the artist omits more than one thing, and the surface exists for him only as a factor defining the solid. Other fundamental features of modern plastic art are connected with this pursuit of solidity.

The artist is not content with just the shape of a solid and its individual form; on the contrary, his aim becomes the piling up of solids, the search for their new relationships, relations and proportions. He subordinates the individual forms to a strictly thought-out structure, each form being a non-split segment. Tectonics, statics, are indispensable conditions of strict construction. The sculpture becomes an organism closed to itself, independent of its surroundings, of the randomness of light and positioning; it exists for itself, represents in all its profiles a finite whole, subordinated to the principle of unity.

Nor does today's sculpture deny the nature and possibilities of the material; on the contrary, it emphasises them, explains itself through them and builds on them. These are the foundations of the shaping of today's sculpture. They were formed and perpetuated in French sculpture, where we can observe the process of their formation and its evolution in the work of several artists. One of the leading ones was Aristide Maillol, in whose sculptures the new artistic aspirations were most fully expressed. Already the first years of the 20th century brought his fully mature and finished works, in which a strong protest against the predominance of alien sculpture content over pure form is heard. T hrough the form itself, Mailoll became a c o m m i s s i o n o f current creative assumptions. For he does not strive for its dematcr icalisation and sublimation, the laws of matter are established and strongly accentuated in it.

This is what forms the inner content of Maillol's sculptures and it is what made him a major pioneer of the new era. But the need for a deeper spiritual content is nevertheless not alien to our times. It is expressed by another artist who, although on an equal footing with Ma and Holl based on the same formative principles, realises the most fully contemporary artistic aspirations, is nevertheless his opposite in spiritual terms. Charles Despiau also aims at a strictly defined form, creating in the solid, gives a compact, tectonic whole. His form does not break the link with the outside world; but despite this, the artist is not content with a purely sensual impression and strives steadfastly towards abstraction, which manifests itself in a certain dematricisation of forms taken from nature and a deepening of their spiritual content.

However, there is never an imbalance between form and content, which is also one of the most important features of modern sculpture. The juxtaposition of these two creative organisations provides a glimpse into the differences in their spiritual structure and at the same time highlights the main tendencies of modern sculpture. The essence of its assumptions unites Maillol closely with its epoch, while Despiau's work appears more distant from it. But only seemingly, for in spite of everything, the striving for a certain sublimation of matter and the enlivening of its inner content is constantly present in modern plastic art and is in harmony with its formal assumptions.

The simultaneous appearance of these two tendencies, namely pure form and the sublimation of its matter, is not a feature of the sculpture of France alone, but it is also characteristic of the sculpture of other European countries, as we can also observe it elsewhere, e.g. in Germany and Yugoslavia. The importance of contemporary Polish sculpture against a general Euromedian background can be understood by taking into account the enormous re-evaluation of concepts that took place in the first decade of the 20th century. It owes much to the two most outstanding creative individualities, namely Dunikowski and Wittig.

However, the moment when Henryk Kuna's individuality begins to crystallise, i.e. around the year igio, excludes the possibility of their influence in the country, where they are still too little with us. The centre of art is still undividedly Paris, and it is here that Kuna's artistic physiognomy is outlined, in connection with the dominant currents. The adoption of new shaping principles is not something accidental and superficial, as it flows from deeper layers of the general psyche, although it does not find the same expression everywhere. In Poland, too, there is a yearning for a fixed and defined form.

It suffices to bring out of oblivion the name of Włodzimierz Konieczny, whose promising work in the field of visual art came to a tragic end prematurely during the war. His project for an altar for a village church (conceived and executed in collaboration with W. Jastrzębowski), exhibited in Kraków in 191 1, is fully representative of the artistic aspirations of the new generation. The figure of Immaculata, with its specific form, statics and tectonics, speaks with inner content. In this seemingly simple form, Konieczny poured a great deal of feeling into it and strangely managed to unite the element of profound lyricism with pure form. The whole expression of the Madonna breathes mysticism, it comes from the depths of the artist's spiritual depths, and his explosive emotionality, suppressing the intellect, works with its directness. Henryk Kuna's work will develop in a similar direction, although it will take different paths towards the spiritualisation of matter.

Kuna, like many contemporary sculptors, emerged from impressionism. The three years he spent at the Academy of Cracow in the atelier of Professor Łaszcz ki, gave him his first artistic foundations. The work that best characterises these years of Kuna's work is the "Iridion" (bronze 1909), which, in the meaning of the term, does not yet foreshadow the further development of the artist. As an impressionist, the artist is primarily interested in the play of light and shadow, hence the sculpture's surface is restless, a field of convexities and concavities. Although there are no overly strong depressions, the artist achieves a fullness of contrast in the play of light and shadow.

From such a restless surface, however, the contour of the head, quite strongly marked, reflects. Kuna's Iridescence breathes pure romanticism, capable of the highest highs and elation, but at the same time of self-doubt. Hardly and proudly, Iridjon raises his head, but the closed aisles of his eyes and mouth seem to speak of inner struggles, hesitations and anxieties. "Iridjon" is the utterance of a budding artist who, still unaware of his proper artistic aims, takes the forms imposed on him, masters them, but trembles at the disturbing forebodings within them.

In 1911, the twenty-something artist leaves for Paris after receiving a scholarship. He goes there with a feeling of restlessness, which is the best guarantee of his creative talents, as it is not enough to master the form, which remains cold and empty without spiritual content. The search for a corresponding form became the artist's goal on his arrival in Paris and his encounter with new problems. Through comparisons of his previous divisions with contemporary French sculpture, he comes to the conviction that his work must be started from scratch. So he goes to the workshop of the stonemason Police ot as an ordinary worker and, day after day, he spends ten hours a day forging stone, learning its properties and technique, costuming himself the basis of his art.

At the same time, he interacts with monuments of the past in museums; the sculptures of early antiquity and the Middle Ages appeal to him most strongly. Both of these worlds, the long-dead and the modern, will influence his further development. Under their influence, Kuna establishes his artistic outlook, turns away from previous formal means and adopts new principles of shaping. The external world in its randomness of light or colour ceases to exist for him. It is not the changeability or constancy of naturalistic form that interests the artist, but the permanence and constancy of the forms that make up a certain artistic whole.

Tectonics and statics become the main principles of shaping. The artist seeks to fathom the essence of the relationship linking the individual forms into a certain whole; he aims to grasp and consolidate the sense of their existence. Everything else, which is alien to these interests, ceases to exist at all and does not enter into the circle of artistic interests. The form as such must also lose any arbitrariness or randomness, but must be characterised by strict definiteness. Sculpture in general in its essence and by the properties of its material corresponds most fully to similar aspirations. After all, three-dimensionality and solidity, which stem from the nature of sculpture and are strictly preserved, do not allow for any arbitrariness or randomness. The reliance on these creative principles leads to the establishment of a logic of shape.

Adherence to such laws of shaping may seemingly lead to a certain uniformity or dryness, which results from the use of formal means within a certain canon. This danger threatens only the weaker artistic individualities, while the more outstanding spiritual organisation will always bring its own elements to art. In his sculptures from the period after 1910, Kuna turned fully towards fixed, compact and defined forms. A number of female heads are created, based on new principles. One of the first works testifying to the artist's independent search is Head of a young girl (marble 1911), exhibited in the Autumn Salon of 1911 in Paris. This sculpture contains all the elements of his further work, which would come to full expression in his later works.

In this head, the artist completely abandons the old formal means, the play of light and shadow ceases to interest him, while the aim has become a compact form, as much related to the mat erial as possible. The compact and defined form, devoid of hard contours, gently, softly rounded, marks the shape of the head with a subtle profile; the mouth is slightly outlined, the hair is treated schematically.

In this work, the artist has not yet freed himself from the suggestion of colour, instilled by impressionist sculpture, which is particularly evident in the arrangement of planes with gentle gradations of individual parts. In the further development of the artist, the coordination of form in the sets of planes and lines, defining the mass, is more and more visible. The mass becomes more compact and becomes completely independent of the influence of light and atmosphere. Already in the first head, the distinct individuality of Kuna became apparent, who builds his sculptures with a certain softness and fluidity of lines, despite basing them on strictly defined shaping principles. They show a logic of shape, but there is nothing schematic or dryness of a well-thought-out form.

In the softness and undulations of the lines, in the smoothness of the joining of the planes, one can see a hand caused by separate artistic intentions, flowing from deeper motives. These heads are a further stage in the evolution started by the Head of a Girl from 1911. In particular, the Head, made in marble with stylised flanks around the head, is the ultimate consequence of the original ideas.

Excavated directly from marble, it does not negate the laws of the material, and the compact construction, the gentle interweaving of the planes, emphatically marks the solidity of the shape and accentuates the soft outline of the female head. This sculpture is the work of a constructive creative iiniyshi, who, however, was able to combine a definite form and strictness of structure with a certain grace and gentleness, stemming from the pro poration and h arm on j i of all the details which make up the whole.There are, however, strong reminiscences of antiquity in Kuna's sculptures of this phase of development; they consist of stylisation and the use of analogous elaboration of certain details, such as the schematic arrangement of the hair, the cut of the eyes. It is not only in the girl's heads of this period that Kuna relies on antique sculpture, there are also traces of his influence in the later sculptures.

In The Dawn, the very arrangement of the figure resembles a series of similarly composed female nudes of antiquity. In the Pink Marble sculpture, in order to support the weight of the mass, the artist introduces a block of stone at the feet as support, just as ancient sculpture did. Finally, in spite of the distance in the construction itself from the Greek prototypes, there are some traces and reminiscences of them in the stylisation of certain details in Kuna's works (Rhythm, Female Nude). This is an original feature that gives the whole a certain distinct stamp.

This connection with ancient art is based on deeper moments. In the first instance are the identical formal assumptions of modern and Greek sculpture, especially, archaic sculpture. The striving for tectonic compactness, definiteness of shape, as well as the aforementioned similarity in the elaboration of details, their stylisation and scliematisation, form a deeper basis, linking Kuna's art with early Greek sculpture. Thus, Kuna is not a slavish imitator of ancient art, but creates according to certain assumptions, which have a permanent value and resound through the centuries more or less strongly. In this approximation to the art of antiquity, Kima is not different, which against the background of the tendencies of the present epoch is completely understandable.

The influence of ancient sculpture on modern art is more direct, especially in French circles. The magnificent native traditions of French sculpture, dating back to distant times, the wonderful mixing of races and blood over the centuries, which created the French nation on the basis of Greco-Roman culture, must have shaped the artistic imagination of this nation accordingly. (Mailłoi n. p. comes from Banyuls in the Pyrenees, a former Greek colony). For modern art, the existence of the Louvre in Paris, with its priceless treasures of sculpture of all eras, is of no small importance.

Nor will we be surprised by Kuna's confession that it was only in the face of these works of art that he realised his own artistic aims. These circumstances have influenced the efforts of contemporary sculptors. Mail łoi refers in some compositions to figures from Tanagra. Dcspiau sometimes stylises in an archaic spirit. If the analogies in the works of Mai Hol5 a and Dcspiau5 a, however, flow rather from related foundations of creation, Joseph Bernard consciously stylizes completely and introduces some elements proper to early Greek sculpture into his works.

The link to antiquity is even stronger in the sculptures of Hoetger, who, having arrived in Paris from Germany, takes over from MailloPa and Bernard their direction and manner of handling formal means. His well for the town of Elberfeld from 1910 already shows a conscious stylisation based on early Greek models. Similarly, Kuna stylizes some of his works. In the case of the Polish sculptor, as in the case of any foreigner, these circumstances work differently than in the case of native French artists. Rather, the connection with antiquity stems from a deduced community of shaping principles, the very artistic atmosphere of Paris in which related creative organisations operate. Bernard Hoetger is such an individual, residing simultaneously with him in Paris.

The commonality of assumptions brings these two artists together and puts them in a certain period of their work. More strongly than the French artists, they both seek a grounding in ancient sculpture. This is perhaps due to the lack of this continuity and the age-old sculptural traditions inherent in French art, which is reflected in a certain restraint that characterises all French artistic production. Thus, certain elements must have been acquired by the sculptor, deprived of this tradition, and appropriated by his own efforts. Kuna, however, is too strong an individual to just passively adopt the values of the old art. He intuitively feels the commonality of the formative foundations and at times even over-submits to them. But this influence does not overwhelm the artist's individuality. The two worlds, clashing in his art, do not take away the stigma of modernity. Kuna never ceases to be an artist of the 20th century.

The question arises, however, in what relation he remains to the outside world and to his individual forms. Kuna has never been a naturalist; even in Iridium he aims to exploit the effects of light by using strong convexities and concavities. The girl's head from 1911 is to some extent a negation of realistic forms; the artist creates and builds a new independent form with its own statics. In further development, while maintaining the tectonics of the forms and their compactness, there is an increasingly strong need for stylisation, but the artist never breaks with forms based on nature. The way in which he approaches them and transforms them using nothing more than a model can be described as idealistic, and what is more, abstract elements can be seen in it.

Forms are deprived of all the randomness we encounter in our surroundings, their relations and relationships are different from those of the external world, as they are constructed and composed according to norms and laws, which can be put into a certain scheme. Subordinated to their own laws of statics and tectonics, they become new creations brought to life by the artist's hand. Construction thus becomes the fundamental basis of Kuna's composition. In a compact whole, each element is subordinated to it, it does not cease to be simultaneously and in itself a defined unit.

However, the construction in Kuna's sculptures is never brutal, nor does it suppress its other values. The arrangement of the whole is not harsh and austere; on the contrary, it is characterised by great grace and charm; each lamina is soft and undulating, and the planes merge gently and penetrate without sharp transitions. As a result, his compositions, even the most strongly constructed ones, are free-flowing and devoid of any compulsion. Balance, moderation and appropriate proportions make Kuna's figural compositions, like his "Heads", the fulfilment of perfect harmony. One of the main foundations of his entire oeuvre is rhythm, which unites and unifies all the elements, thanks to which his sculptures acquire a certain distinct character. Rhythm is one of the main principles of shaping, and as the repetition of a certain unit at certain intervals, it manifests itself in the visual arts in a variety of ways.

In Kuna's art it appears first of all in the wavy, flowing line, which in its essence results from repetitiveness, it is also expressed in the mutual relation of planes, and finally it takes over and permeates the whole composition. The pursuit of rhythmic lines appears in Kuna's work quite early, as he turned to a compact and tectonic form. It appears at first in the rhythmisation of details to master the line, and eventually becomes the dominant factor. Rhythm as one of the main shaping factors marks itself in all periods of history and types of art with equal force. It appears especially in art whose aim is nothing to get closer to nature, but to capture reality in a certain idealistic scheme.

This is why the predominance of rhythm as a formative principle in the art of Henryk Kuna is not a phenomenon from o os o trillion in contemporary art. It flows from the creative principles of modern art, is an essential feature of it and manifests itself simultaneously in all its areas. Having established the main formative foundations on which Kuna's work is based, it becomes easier to analyse his work against the background of contemporary currents. The character of Kuna's art, which with all its tectonics and definite patterns aims at soft and gentle forms, subordinated to the laws of rhythm, is best suited to the female body, which by its very nature corresponds to such an artistic interpretation.

The classic example of this is the Female Nude in Marble, exhibited in 1921 in Paris at the exhibition of Polish art, and now in the State collection; there is a variant of this sculpture in the workshop of B. Raabe in Warsaw (signed H. Kuna 1920). The arrangement of the body follows a strict pattern. The basic motif is the rhythmical bending of the body, and by extending the right hip and raising the left shoulder, a wavy line is created. Harmony and balance are manifested in the distribution of the masses, and the protrusion of the right side corresponds to the protrusion of the left upper part, further intensified by the elevation of the arm.

This principle of rhythm is subordinated to everything, and so the non-essential details are abandoned. The replica at Mr Raabe's is similarly framed, but still lacks this softness, the rhythm of the composition not so consistently carried out. The fact that, according to the information I was readily given, he often works the marble himself and does not rely on the help of craftsmen, which means that the form comes directly from the material, sheds some light on the texture of Kuna's works. The artist also strips the material of its natural colour, that cold white, by saturating the marble with greasy paint; the method is the artist's secret, only it should be noted that this is not polychromy in the realistic sense, but rather giving the forms, irrespective of their natural tone, a light and discreet shade of monochrome with nogo.

The forms the artist uses do not repeat themselves; on the contrary, within the framework of certain, established assumptions, he is in constant search of ever different artistic possibilities and compositional problems. His favourite problem is the moving body, to which he tries to impose a maximum of tectonics, as in 'Fisherman' (Ebony 1919). The artist has managed to subordinate everything to a general compositional scheme with a strong tendency towards rhythmicity, which consists of three fundamental moments.

The very treatment of the body as a smooth surface with a neglect of musculature, while striving to bring out the softness and roundness of the shapes, contains elements of rhythm. The fisherman stands on an uneven pedestal, extending forward his left leg, bent at the knee, which carries the weight of the body. The right leg, on the other hand, straightens to help maintain balance, and when the right arm is raised above the head, a special wavy, rhythmic line is created, running along the calf, thigh, torso and through the outstretched right arm.

The rhythm is also heard in the arrangement of the folds of the drapery. If this sculpture, created in 1919, is inferior in expression to others of a later date, one cannot fail to see in it traces of a creative effort to achieve that complete homogeneity which characterises mature works. There is an ideal beauty in Kuna's sculptures, independent of momentary fluctuations, constant and unchanging, relying in no small measure on consideration of the nature of the material and its possibilities in terms of form. This is perfectly manifested in 'Rhythm', one of Kuna's most serious works.

The first idea, which evolved over a long period of time, was made in 1920 and differs greatly from the next version, which, despite the displacement of a few details and the emphasis on others, still lacks that perfection of rhythm and compactness of construction which characterise the final realisation. Already in the first idea there is a turn of the body, albeit slightly marked, the composition, however, is based in the main frame on the same principles that remain unchanged in the subsequent realisations. It depicts a standing young woman, naked, with a drape thrown over her left shoulder and partially covering her legs; its arrangement does not correspond to the rhythmic movement of the body.

Although the artist tries to justify the movement of her hands by supporting the braids in her hands, it is precisely these braids that spoil the scheme of the first composition. The directly ecstatic expression of the face, also the movement of the head, independent of the general principle of the composition, bears some characteristics of compulsion. The next version, executed in ebony (1922), has features of tectonic compactness, the composition is dominated by rhythm, but executed in wood it shows slightly different proportions and differences, stemming from the different material.

However, this artistic concept was perfectly realised in stone. The original is now in the Polish embassy in Paris, and as this sculpture is one of the pinnacles of Kuna's oeuvre, it is appropriate to take a closer look at it. The original compositional scheme has been preserved in its general outlines, with only some changes made for greater compactness and stronger rhythm. The body is depicted in rhythmic movement. Seemingly, there is a contradiction hidden in this expression, as it seems difficult to combine these two opposites, the unchanging inertia of the stone mass and the movement of the body. The artist achieved this impression not by conveying a certain, momentary movement, but rather by sensing its potentiality in every detail.

The left leg bears the weight of the whole body, the right one, retracted backwards, barely touches the base, which creates a slight turn of the body to the left, most strongly accentuated in the movement of the head; it is complemented by the arrangement of the hands, increasing the impression of general rhythm and explaining mainly this. Formally, the artist achieved maximum compactness through the arrangement of the legs and arms, adjacent to the body, and finally the inclination of the head. The whole composition closes with a drapery which, flowing in waves over the left shoulder along the body, partially covers the legs. The execution of the composition is of such a kind that, seen from all sides, it forms a whole unto itself. Particularly in profile slightly to the left, a series of undulating and rhythmic lines make up an extremely harmonious and finished whole.

This sculpture fully realises the postulates of modern sculpture; the reminiscences of antiquity are completely subdued, only resounding in the styling of the hair in the Greek pattern. The motif itself and the execution of the composition have no analogue in ancient sculpture. A thoroughly original work, it is an expression of the contemporary era and, as a creative statement, testifies to the artist's maturity on the way to his own style. A detailed analysis of several of these works has defined the principles of the structural system of Kuna's sculptures. Its essential factors are contained most fully in 'Rhythm', and they appear similarly in a number of other compositions, such as 'Atalanta' (Tree 1924).

Defining the formal values of Kuna's sculptures and establishing the principles of shaping themselves, however, does not exhaust the essence of his work. For there are deeper elements hidden in it, in which the artist's separate psyche is expressed. Two tendencies combine in Kuna's sculptures. The first expresses itself in the creation of works that are closed in on themselves, with definite, fixed forms, while the second shines through in the enlivening of dead material and the imparting of inner life. In giving a work with definite, tectonically compact and constructed forms, the artist is aware of the laws of the material in which he creates, but he consistently aims to dematerialise it, encompassing both material and forms. Kuna's dematerialisation does not involve the negation of these two essential elements of plasticity; it aims only to bring out the emotional moments.

Physical laws, nature and life recede into the background in the face of spiritual matters. He does not treat spiritual content in the colloquial sense, as the entire wealth of inner life with all its manifestations, but selects them, focusing his attention on a certain element or spiritual state. This one selected element he tries to deepen and reach its essence. In this way, Kuna reaches the deepest layers of spiritual life, cleansing them of everything transient, unstable, that flows from the relationship with everyday life, with the external world Just as rhythm influences both the entire composition and each of its parts, Kuna's idealistic approach is present both in the external form of the works and in their spiritual layer, which acquires a 'monumental' character.

This tendency can already be seen in the artist's early works - for example, in the heads of young girls from 1911, in Girl in a Hood or Female Head with a Smile. Despite their young features, emotions such as sadness or pain are visible in them, manifested, for example, in the clenched lips. The contrast between physical youth and life's bitterness gives these sculptures an unusual charm. Even in the more joyful works, carefreeness is not to be found - rather, thoughtfulness, a slight smile and contemplation are present. These qualities harmonise with the springtime charm of the young woman. Kuna strives for a balance between form and content - neither dominates, both coexist.

She avoids deformation, does not over-emphasise details, and strives for harmony and ideal beauty. Although the girls' heads show a masterful handling of line and plane, this is even more evident in the larger compositions. Dawn (1919) - executed in marble - exudes youthful freshness and joy. Gesture, as a carrier of emotion, is also important in Kuna's work, as is particularly evident in Twilight (1922, ebony). The style of this sculpture is reminiscent of the works of Bernard Hoetger from Germany, who, like Kuna, reaches for elements of stylisation and archaisation inspired by ancient Greek art. Hoetger and Kuna, although working independently, moved in a similar spirit of the period. Both, drawing on the achievements of their time, brought an individual, emotional dimension to sculpture - something that was lacking in other artists focused solely on mass and structure.

In Kuna's case, this is expressed in a soft, contemplative attitude to reality - not through despair or rebellion, but through quiet assent and deep understanding. The work Christ (1926) shows an intensity of expression that is unique to Kuna. Nevertheless, it remains grounded in an intellectual and contemplative approach to the subject. The sculpture, inspired by a drawing from 1923, shows the figure of Christ with his hands pressed to his chest, which creates the form of a cross. The figure merges with the tree, becoming part of it. This depiction is original and deviates from traditional Christian iconography. Kuna uses simplified means of expression to better convey emotion - as in Girl in Garland (1921) or Innocence. The simple form and strong gesture are reminiscent of folk or primitive art.

There is sadness in his work - not sentimental sadness, but sadness arising from a deeper understanding of reality. In parallel with the dramatic Christ, lighter works such as Rhythm or Atalanta are created. This testifies to the inner discipline of the artist, who does not go to extremes but cares about balance. The sculpture Pink Marble crowns a certain phase of his work - it is a mature work, full of softness, harmony and emotional depth. Soon afterwards, there is a surprising turn - Kuna abandons idealisation and turns to the concrete model and his individuality. In Portrait of Kamil Witkowski (1930, bronze), the artist shows the expression and characteristic features of the model, omitting what is superfluous. Despite the expressive approach, he operates with large, sharp planes in the spirit of constructivism.

In Portrait of Kazimierz Wierzyński, on the other hand, the forms are soft and gentle - conveying the poet's spirituality without deformation. Both portraits are the pinnacle of Kuna's oeuvre. The next step in the artist's career becomes monumental sculpture - his project for a monument to Adam Mickiewicz for Vilnius wins first prize and is accepted for realisation. Maintained in a neoclassical spirit, it partly refers to the Parisian monument by Bourdelle. The figure of the poet is clad in a cloak, with a book in one hand and the other hand raised.

The stylised drapery and bas-reliefs from the Forefathers emphasise the prophetic character of the figure. The realisation of the monument is well advanced - Kuna has already made the bas-reliefs and is working on the main model. The ceremonial unveiling is planned for 1935. Kuna's work is constantly evolving. Although it is not easy to predict the further direction of his art, one thing is certain - the artist still has much to say. So far, he has combined spiritual reflection, the search for an ideal form and the pursuit of emotional truth - and each of these paths can be the starting point for further creative evolution.