Pranas Domšaitis (1880–1965). Her / His Figure

The narrative of the exhibition “Her / His Figure”, dedicated to the oeuvre of painter Pranas Domšaitis (1880–1965), is the figure of the artist as a nomad, migrant, and emigrant. The artist’s creative legacy meanders through East Prussia, Germany, Austria, and finally, South Africa. He not only captured the landscapes of geographical locations where he stayed for shorter or longer periods, but also, as a nomad by nature, sketched the landscapes to which his curiosity drew him. These were mainly countries beyond the borders of the European continent: Tunisia, Somalia, the Bosphorus Strait, Turkey, and so on. During his travels, Domšaitis paid much attention to observing the environment. Nature and the inhabitants of various places were the artist’s main source of inspiration and the subject of his paintings. Thus, sketches from his travels, made in pencil or pastel and later transferred to canvas in oil, show figures – usually of women – posing en face for the artist/viewer or performing everyday household chores. The portrait genre paintings, framed by the “male gaze”, easily identify the dominant canon of female representation at the time – the imperative of exoticized beauty, distinct ethnic features, and subtle psychologism.