LTStraipsnyje nagrinėjamas šešių Vilniaus Šv. Kotrynos benediktinių vienuolyno vyresniųjų portretų, nutapytų XVIII a. - XX a. pradžioje, rinkinys. Apie vienuolynuose buvusius portretų rinkinius Lietuvos istoriografijoje mažai duomenų, ši tema plačiau netyrinėta, todėl straipsnyje pirmiausia apžvelgiami faktai ir meno artefaktai, kurie liudija, kad LDK portretų kolekcijų kaupimo tradicija vienuolynuose buvo įprastas ir paplitęs reiškinys. Galima diskutuoti apie meninę atskirų paveikslų vertę, tačiau kaip visuma šis rinkinys svarbus Lietuvos vienuolynų aplinkoje funkcionavusių meno kūrinių ir vienuolių portretų tyrimams. Lietuvos kultūros ir dailės istorijai - tai reikšmingas portretų rinkinių vienuolynuose kaupimo liudijimas.Reikšminiai žodžiai: Portretas; Rinkinys; Benediktinės; Vienuolija; Vilnius; 18 amžius; 19 amžius; 20 amžius.
ENWorks of portraiture are not merely monuments of art; they also serve as a record of history, culture and memory. Though the early origins of the portrait genre can already be observed in the Gothic art of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the tradition of painting images of the rulers and the nobility became established only in the 16th century with the spread of Renaissance ideas. Portraiture became very popular in the Baroque epoch. Portrait works were principally collected by the nobility. Portraits of the clergy adorned residences of bishops, cathedrals, and chapter houses. Lithuanian historiography contains little material on portrait collections held by monasteries. There has been no wider research into the subject previously. Nevertheless, historical facts and surviving pieces suggest that monasteries of various orders have collected portraits of the most renowned members and superiors of monastic communities. Among the examples is a collection of six portraits from the period between the 18th and early 20th centuries depicting the abbesses of the Benedictine Convent of St. Catherine in Vilnius. The collection might have reached our times incomplete, but retaining the status of a collection. The portraits are currently preserved at the Benedictine Convent in Żarnowiec (Poland) […] This collection is significant to the study of portraits of the members of religious communities and to the investigation of artworks that existed within the monastic environment. It is also important for the researchers of Lithuanian art and cultural history as it serves as an evidence of assemblage of portrait collections at monasteries. [From the publication]