15th–16th c. Between the Middle Ages and Renaissance

The predominant style in Lithuania in the late 15th and early 16th century still pointed to the transition from Gothic to Renaissance. The architectural arch, under which individual saints or biblical scenes were represented, no longer framed a figure, but served as a three-dimensional action field. .

In the Renaissance period, the or nué technique was developed, and the knowledge of perspective drawing and anatomy began to be applied. In Lithuania, the art of embroidery was strongly influenced by the Flemish and German traditions.

17th c. Golden floral Baroque

In the 17th century, the theme of the suffering of Christ in church art gave way to the idea of praising the glory of God with grandeur and sensuality, glitter of gold and richness of details.

However, the greatest change in the decoration of liturgical vestments was the so far unprecedented dominance of floral ornaments. Liturgical vestments turned into magnificent flower gardens almost devoid of religious symbols.

18th c. Rococo colours and ideas of Classicism

The spirit of Rococo is particularly well reflected in eighteenth-century patterned silk fabrics from the weaving mills of France, above all Lyon, whose ornaments and colours were adopted by acupictors.

The distinctive features of this style are light pastel colours, swirling flower garlands and diagonally meandering “rivers”. In the third quarter of the 18th century, the taste in decorative arts inclined towards classics with a predilection for clear architectural lines and a renewed interest in motifs of classical antiquity.

19th c. Professional versus amateur

The 19th century is characterized by a large variety of styles and techniques. In Lithuania, the persisting tradition of Baroque was reflected in the decoration of liturgical vestments, and the impact of the mid-century Gothic revival in Europe was hardly felt.

The back orphrey of chasubles often acquired the form of a cross. Medallions with Christograms, images of saints or the Lamb of God were placed at the intersection of the cross.

20th c. Tradition or changes

In the first half of the 20th century, the appearance of liturgical vestments developed along the lines formed in the 19th century, but a hundred years in the tsarist Russian Empire, two world wars and the Soviet occupation caused Lithuania’s isolation from the life of the Universal Church.

The making and embroidery of liturgical vestments went into decline. Vestments from the Lentvaris church whose patrons were the Tyszkiewiczs, distinguished by high quality and craftsmanship, were an exception.