Search for Eastern Light and Color Brightness in Saulius Kruopis's Painting

The article is about the outstanding contemporary Lithuanian master of coloristic paintings, Saulius Kruopis. It focuses on the most important stages of his intellectual and artistic evolution, his relationships with teachers, and other factors which influenced his painting style. Particular attention is paid to the impact of the culture of India on Kruopis's Weltanschauung and work. That culture shaped not only his personal way of life but also the peculiarity of his color understanding and orientalistic style. Some attention is given to his Nida plein airs and critical publications on art issues. The article treats Kruopis as a subtle master of expressive, emotional, colorful paintings and lyrical abstractions, whose mastery is expressed by means of powerful, spontaneous, colorful, and texture-leaving strokes.