​Contemporary South African Art

Born: 1880 Cropiens, Postnicken, East Prussia
Died: 1965 Rondebosch, Cape Town
Resided in SA from 1949

A painter of religious scenes, village and farm scenes, still life, particularly flowers, of portraits, figures and in the late 1960’s a few abstract pictures.  Worked in oil, charcoal, pencil, crayon, pastel and watercolour.  A graphic artist who produced monotypes, etchings and lithographs.  His work is characterised by deep, strong colours, a heavy outline and the themes of refugees and the Karoo.

Studies: 1907-10 Academy of Fine Art at Kőnigsberg, East Prussia under Professor Ludwig Dettmann (b.1865); 1910-12 in Berlin under Lovis Corinth (1858-1925), further studies in Paris, Florence, London and Amsterdam.

Profile: Influenced by the German Expressionists, Georges Rouault (1871-1958) and Edvard Munch (1863-1944), the latter he met on a trip to Norway in 1914.  A member of the SA Society of Artists.  1938 a member of the New Group.  Illustrated Die Seele Des Ostens by Karl Scheffler.  A number of his works were reproduced by E. Schweickerdt, Pretoria.  He sewed wall tapestries and embroideries.  A Lithuanian, born Franz Domscheit, he changed his name to the present spelling in 1920, but continued to sign pictures in his original name until 1938.  Farmed in East Prussia until the age of 27; 1910-14 travelled in Germany, Italy, France, England, The Netherlands and Norway, 1912 lived in Petersburg, Russia for six months; 1914-18 in Berlin and Lithuania, serving in the army; 1919-24 travelled in Austria and Bavaria, where he began collecting medieval nativity figures from monasteries; 1925-29 travelled in Austria, east Prussia, Romania and Turkey; 1929-44 lived in Berlin and travelled throughout Europe; 1944-49 in Austria; 149-65 in Cape Town, visiting the Karoo, Transkei, Orange Free State and the Transvaal in 1958.  1929 married the professional singer Adelheid Armhold, who from 1949 lectured at the University of Cape Town. 

Exhibitions: 1918-49 participated in numerous group exhibitions in Berlin, Austria, East Prussia, Romania and Turkey; 1919-37 held solo exhibitions in Breslau, Essen, Hamburg, Berlin and Istanbul; participated in numerous group exhibitions in SA from 1949 and in New York, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Bulawayo; 1949 SA National Gallery, Cape Town first of over 20 solo exhibitions in SA; 1960 and 1964 Quadrennial Exhibitions; 1966 SAAA Gallery, Pretoria, Prestige Exhibition; 1966 Adler Fielding Gallery, Johannesburg, Memorial Exhibition; 1966 SA National Gallery, Cape Town and Pretoria Art Museum, Commemorative Exhibition; 1968-69, 1970 and 1971 Gallery 101, Johannesburg, Memorial Exhibition; 1970 Bielefeld, West Germany, Memorial Exhibition; 1978 Rand Afrikaans University, Memorial exhibition; 1978 University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Retrospective Exhibition.

Award: 1964 Prize winner, Artists of Fame and Promise Exhibition

Represented: Art galleries in Lübeck, Kőnigsberg, Munich, Stettin, Hanover and Hamburg, West Germany; Berlin National Gallery, Germany; Durban Art Gallery; Hester Rupert Art Museum, Graaff-Reinet; Johannesburg Art Gallery; King George VI Art Gallery, Port Elizabeth; National Gallery, Harare, Zimbabwe; National Museum, Bloemfontein; Pretoria art Museum; SA National Gallery, Cape Town; University of Cape Town; University of the Orange Free State; University of Stellenbosch; University of the Witwatersrand; Willem Annandale Art Gallery, Lichtenburg; Willem Humphreys Art Gallery, Kimberley.

References: Elsa Verloren van Themaat, Pranas Domsaitis, 1976, C Struik, Cape Town; Art SA; SAA; 20C SA art; DSAB; SAP&S; SAP&D; SESA; SSAP; Bénézit (under Domscheit, Frans); BSAK 1&2; Our Art 3; SA Art; 3Cs; AASA; LSAA; SA Art News 6 April 1961; Artlook December 1967 & February 1968; Pranas Domsaitis  1880-1965, SA National Gallery, Cape Town, Catalogue, November 1966; University of Hawaii Catalogue by Murray Turnball, 1978