The Flight into Egypt

Pranas Domšaitis chose instantly recognisable themes that are common in Christian iconography, translating Bible stories into the artistic language of the 20th century, and presenting them in an original and moderate Expressionist style. The frequently portrayed story of the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt in his hands became a rationally purified allegory of mankind, which went through two world wars, and a metaphor for his own restless life. In these compositions, the foreboding of danger is expressed impressively with a minimum of artistic devices, just the dark contours of the drawing, and the dynamic shapes, brushstrokes and colours.

Text author Dalia Vasiliūnienė

For Domšaitis, the biblical story of the Holy Family, when Mary and Joseph were forced to flee from persecution in Palestine to neighbouring Egypt with the infant Jesus in their arms, became a powerful metaphor for perpetual migration. The artist was particularly drawn to this theme, painting it multiple times. It echoed not only his personal experience but also the broader experience of people in his homeland. He first encountered the plight of refugees during the First World War when he returned temporarily to Kruopynos. His paintings from this period depict the frightened, huddled inhabitants of East Prussia, displaced and anxious with uncertainty. The refugee drama is often emphasised by the cold moonlight flooding the landscape. The artist experienced the fate of an exile personally when his works were included in the infamous lists of Degenerate Art in 1937 by the National Socialists in Germany. This marked a decisive moment, showing that he could not stay in the country. Domšaitis left Berlin, spent some time in rural Bavaria and Austria, and finally emigrated with his wife to South Africa in 1949. The country welcomed them, and the artist quickly integrated into the local art scene. But the themes of migration and displacement continued to affect him deeply throughout his life.

Text author Laura Petrauskaitė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album HEAVEN AND BEYOND (2016). Compiler Dalia Vasiliūnienė. Text authors Dalia Vasiliūnienė, Skaidrė Urbonienė, ARTISTS ON THE MOVE (2025). Compiler and text author Laura Petrauskaitė
Expositions: “Always on the Road. Paintings from Private Collections”, 12 June – 27 July 2015, M. Žilinskas Art Gallery, Kaunas

Pranas Domšaitis chose instantly recognisable themes that are common in Christian iconography, translating Bible stories into the artistic language of the 20th century, and presenting them in an original and moderate Expressionist style. The frequently portrayed story of the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt in his hands became a rationally purified allegory of mankind, which went through two world wars, and a metaphor for his own restless life. In these compositions, the foreboding of danger is expressed impressively with a minimum of artistic devices, just the dark contours of the drawing, and the dynamic shapes, brushstrokes and colours.

Text author Dalia Vasiliūnienė

For Domšaitis, the biblical story of the Holy Family, when Mary and Joseph were forced to flee from persecution in Palestine to neighbouring Egypt with the infant Jesus in their arms, became a powerful metaphor for perpetual migration. The artist was particularly drawn to this theme, painting it multiple times. It echoed not only his personal experience but also the broader experience of people in his homeland. He first encountered the plight of refugees during the First World War when he returned temporarily to Kruopynos. His paintings from this period depict the frightened, huddled inhabitants of East Prussia, displaced and anxious with uncertainty. The refugee drama is often emphasised by the cold moonlight flooding the landscape. The artist experienced the fate of an exile personally when his works were included in the infamous lists of Degenerate Art in 1937 by the National Socialists in Germany. This marked a decisive moment, showing that he could not stay in the country. Domšaitis left Berlin, spent some time in rural Bavaria and Austria, and finally emigrated with his wife to South Africa in 1949. The country welcomed them, and the artist quickly integrated into the local art scene. But the themes of migration and displacement continued to affect him deeply throughout his life.

Text author Laura Petrauskaitė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album HEAVEN AND BEYOND (2016). Compiler Dalia Vasiliūnienė. Text authors Dalia Vasiliūnienė, Skaidrė Urbonienė, ARTISTS ON THE MOVE (2025). Compiler and text author Laura Petrauskaitė
Expositions: “Always on the Road. Paintings from Private Collections”, 12 June – 27 July 2015, M. Žilinskas Art Gallery, Kaunas