''Refugees'' (Latvian: ''Bēgļi'') is a painting by Latvian artist

Jēkabs Kazaks Jēkabs Kazaks (18 February 1895, in Riga – 30 November 1920, in Riga) was a Latvian modernist painter. Biography Kazaks was born in a relatively meager surroundings and had to struggle to finish his high school education. He studied at t ...

from 1917.{{cite web , url=https://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/2063605/LAT_280_006.html , title=Refugees, Jēkabs Kazaks , website=europeana.eu , language=en , access-date=26 April 2016

Description

Painted with oil on canvas, it has dimensions of 210.5 x 107 mm. The picture is part of the collection of the

Latvian National Museum of Art The Latvian National Museum of Art ( lv, Latvijas Nacionālais mākslas muzejs) is the richest collection of national art in Latvia. It houses more than 52,000 works of art reflecting the development of professional art in the Baltic area and ...

in Riga.

Analysis

The picture captures the Latvian national tragedy of dislocation from Kurzeme and

Zemgale Semigallia, also spelt Semigalia, ( lv, Zemgale; german: Semgallen; lt, Žiemgala; pl, Semigalia; liv, Zemgāl) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands located in the south of the Daugava river and the north of the Saule region of Samogitia. ...

after start of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. It reveals harsh story of a peasant family leaving home during the war. The old man is depicted in rampant growth, like a vertical rock. His mighty figure symbolizes strength. The image of the older woman exudes the wisdom and strength of the national spirit. The young woman with the infant symbolizes the endless cycle of life. Refugees experience inner anger and anguish, which does not allow them to succumb to despair. These people show their spiritual and physical vigor. The hope of returning to their homeland fills their hearts. This monumental painting is considered one of the highest peaks of Latvian classic

modernism Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...

References

1917 paintings Latvian paintings Paintings in Latvia Refugees in Europe World War I in popular culture