Vincentas Jakševičius

Vincentas Jakševičius
Vincentas Jakševičius ca 1928
Born	Vincentas Jakševičius ca 1873 Novomesto district, Russian Empire
Died	19 July 1936(1936-07-19) (aged 62–63) Kaišiadorys, Lithuania
Resting place	Kaišiadorys Cemetery
Nationality	Lithuanian
Known for	sculptor, Church decorator
Notable work	the interrior of Kaišiadorys Cathedral, Švėkšna Park
Spouse	Marija Juchnevičiūtė-Jakševičienė (1897-1936)

Vincentas Jakševičius (ca 1873 in Novomesto district, Russian Empire – July 19, 1936 in Kaišiadorys, Lithuania) was a Lithuanian sculptor and Church decorator. His works, ocassionaly accompanied by either his sons or his brother, include various pieces of religious art (statues of the saints and altars) in Kaišiadorys, Švėkšna and various other parts of Lithuania.

Biography

Vincentas was presumably the eldest among his siblings, born to a family of Aleksandras Jakševičius and Marija Guzėnaitė-Jakševičienė. His father was a carpenter and Church decorator (sometimes titled the founding father of Jakševičius' dinasty of artists that spanned for 3 generations). Both he and his youngest brother Benjaminas followed father's footsteps and would occassionally work together building altars and other church artwork together with Vincentas' children. Vincentas' talent for art was recognised at early age and it is said he received his art education at the Art institute of Wilno according to the story passed on through generations by Jakševičius' descendants.

Jakševičius' family moved to Panevėžys in ca 1887 where three youngest Vincentas' siblings were born. Vincentas got married in 1897 and had a big family. However, out of 7 of his children, 3 died in infancy or early childhood. Two out of four surviving children, however, followed their father footsteps and also became sculptors. Vincentas moved to several places (Joniškis, Švėkšna) before he settled to Kaišiadorys with his family and spent there his final years, decorating the interrior of Kaišiadorys Cathedral, mostly accompanying by his son Adomas and taking up works in Gegužinė Church.

Vincentas Jakševičius suffered a heart attack while working in Gegužinė Church on July 19, 1936. Other than due to an intense work, his health had deteriorated due to a sudden death of his eldest son Silvanas three years earlier. He was buried in Kaišiadorys Cemetery.

List of works

• Altar in Dembava Church (ca 1907)
• Sculptures in Švėkšna Park (accompanied by his father and brother)
• Altars, sculptures and other religious art in Kaišiadorys Cathedral (1929-1932)
• A big altar in Gegužinė Church (1935–1936)