Ausstellungen der Maler Otto Fikentscher (1862 Zwickau–1945 Baden Baden) und Franz Domscheit/Pranas Domsaitis (1873 Kropiens/Gajewo–1962 Kapstadt) in Hermannstadt/Sibiu

Abstract

"Exhibitions of the Painters Otto Fikentscher (1862 Zwickau ‒ 1945 Baden Baden) and Franz Domscheit/Pranas Domsaitis (1873 Kropiens/Gajewo ‒ 1962 Cape Town) in Sibiu. The paper is dealing with two art events, which occured in 1914 and 1924 and were organized by the Art Association Sebastian Hann. The protagonists were the animal painter Otto Fikentscher and the Expressionist Franz Domscheit/Pranas Domsaitis, both esteemed artists from Germany. The only source reporting about the events was the important German daily newspaper from Transylvania, Siebenbürgisch-Deutsches Tageblatt. While Fikentscher’s exhibition, which comprised several paintings showing specimens from the Transylvanian fauna, was received with enthusiasm, Franz Domscheit’s show, much more difficult to be understood by the provincials (both, critics and public), did not enjoy recognition. Fikentscher intended to come back to Sibiu the same year with another exhibition, an intention impeded by the outbreak of WWI and the events of its aftermath. Although initially some of the intellectuals from Sibiu intended to convince Domscheit to settle in their town in order to enrich the local art scene, the failure of the exhibition made it invalid. The paper also deals with the most important biographical data of the two artists and makes consideration about their artworks. Keywords: Otto Fikentscher, animal painter, Transylvania, Sibiu, Association Sebastian Hann, Franz Domscheit/Pranas Domsaitis, Impressionism, Expressionism, degenerate art, South Africa, Pranas Domsaitis Gallery, Lithuania, Klaipeda. "