early life and education vincentas smakauskas, also known as wincenty smokowski, was a prominent polish-lithuanian painter and illustrator born in vilnius, lithuania in 1797. he studied at vilnius university from 1817 to 1822, where he was a pupil of the english engraver and professor of fine art, joseph saunders. smakauskas then continued his education at the imperial academy of arts in saint petersburg from 1823 to 1829, receiving a silver medal in 1825 and a gold medal in 1827 for his version of the death of epaminondas. artistic career and notable works smakauskas was known for his portra…