Flight to Egypt

P. Domšaitis started painting the Flight to Egypt compositions under the influence of the events of World War I. They combined the biblical theme, war-ravaged settlements and images of long lines of refugees. World War II added the depth of painful personal experience to the subject matter: the painter had to flee Berlin, finding shelter in Austria, and became a war refugee himself, departing for the Republic of South Africa in 1949. The flight to Egypt paintings from the African period offer a greater accentuation of the drama of the journey. The group of refugees, Mary and the Infant, Joseph and an additional traveller, are moving from the darkness into the light. The shapes of the figures are streamlined, outlined in places with a black contour. The moon lights up the night sky. It, and even more so, the blinding whiteness of the donkey, serve as a symbol of hope and salvation, and connect the movement to the infinity of outer space. Researchers of the painter’s works have noted that P. Domšaitis treats his religious subjects with such primeval apostolic fervour, that the white paint on the canvas appears to convey the mysterious power of white.