9. Pranas Domšaitis Gallery, a division of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art

About

The history of the buildings currently housing the Pranas Domšaitis Gallery dates back to the late 19th century, when the planning of plots on Liepų Street began. Buildings 31 and 33 were constructed in the interwar period as a private clinic and residential housing for the optician Edwin Hein. The third building, number 35, was owned by the firm Adler Werk G and served as both an office and residential apartments. The origins of the final building, number 29, are less clear, but it was most likely used for administrative purposes.

This quartet is a striking reflection of the architectural trends in Klaipėda during that era. Buildings 29 and 31 are rendered brick structures of historicist forms with wooden decorative elements. Building 33 is a three-storey rendered brick building with neo-Baroque elements, decorated with a pediment featuring a lion’s head and pilasters. Building 35 displays characteristics of the Material style (Materialstil), which was fashionable at the time of its construction.

After the buildings were nationalised in the post-war period, the complex was used as a kindergarten, but it lacked a permanent function until 1973, when it became home to the Klaipėda Painting Gallery. During a reconstruction project led by Z. B. Rutkauskas, the buildings were joined, the premises were expanded, and the spaces adapted for exhibitions. Two stained-glass windows by Bronis Bružas were installed in the new gallery rooms. Following the restoration of Lithuania’s independence, the gallery was renamed after Pranas Domšaitis and now houses a permanent exhibition dedicated to the émigré artist.