An exhibition of Richard Pfeiffer, painter of sacred spaces, goes on show at the Pranas Domšaitis Gallery of the LNMA

Exhibition opening at 6 pm Thursday, 19 March, 2026

Thursday, 19 March, at 6 pm, the Pranas Domšaitis Gallery (Liepų St 33, Klaipėda) of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art (LNMA) opens an exhibition Richard Pfeiffer (1878–1962) – Painter of Sacred Spaces. The exhibition presents a rich selection of the artist’s works from the collections of the East Prussian Regional Museum (Ostpreußisches Landesmuseum) – oil paintings of mythological scenes, landscapes and portraits, as well as sketches for mural paintings, cartoons for tapestries, and illustrations.

 

“This exhibition brings to fruition our long-time collaboration with the East Prussian Regional Museum in Lüneburg. We highly treasure this partnership, as it makes it possible for us to present, in Klaipėda, the renowned artists of East Prussia whose creative careers had a significant impact not only on Germany, but on Lithuania too,” Skaistė Marčienė, director of the Pranas Domšaitis Gallery of the LNMA, invites to see the exhibition.

 

“In 2023, Jan Rüttinger got in touch with the Pfeiffer family in Berlin. In 2024, in the process of the management of Pfeiffer’s legacy, the artist’s family transferred numerous discovered art pieces to the East Prussian Regional Museum. Though many of them were in a poor condition, we tried to select for the exhibition a collection representative of the artist’s oeuvre”, the exhibition curator, Dr Jörn Barfod presents the origins of the event.

 

 

The master who graced the towns of East Prussia

 

Richard Pfeiffer, born in 1878 in Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland) received his basic training in drawing from his native town’s Art and Crafts School. He continued his art studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. After coming of age, he was appointed professor at the Art Academy in Königsberg, where he taught a number of would-be celebrated artists. On numerous occasions Pfeiffer with his students visited Nida Artists’ Colony, one of the most important centres for the artistic gatherings in the region. The artist lived and worked in Königsberg until 1932, when he moved to Berlin where he stayed for the rest of his life, continuing his practice as a free-lance artist.

 

In the towns of East Prussia, the artist made himself a name as a decorator of the public and sacred places. In 1924–1926, he designed and painted compositions for the decoration of the interior and the front façade of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Šilutė. The main mural of the central altar, of 80 sq. m, features a multitude of figures, where alongside with the Biblical characters, feature historical figures, among them, also of the Reformation movement, the poet Simon Dach and the owner of Šilutė Estate, Scheu Hugo. The composition of the interior décor employs the theme of ecumenism to unite into a whole the Biblical scenes and Catholic saints, figures of the Reformation, the artists and the builders of the church. Pfeiffer’s murals reflect the influence of Italian painting, they can be defined by a fusion of the elements of Realism, Secession and Symbolism. The murals at the Evangelical Church of Šilutė are recognized as the creative pinnacle of the artist – it is a unique example of monumental sacred art in the Region of Klaipėda, and the only extant piece by the artist of this scale.

 

 

The ideas of the Reformation and mysticism in the legacy of the artist  

 

The legacy of Pfeiffer, like that by most of East Prussia’s artist, fell victim to World War II. His studio caught fire in the bombing of Berlin resulting in a loss of numerous works and archives. The artist’s extant artwork is now preserved in the East Prussian Regional Museum in Lüneburg, Germany. Part of the works from the collection have been lent to the exhibition at the Pranas Domšaitis Gallery, providing an opportunity for Klaipėda citizens and visitors to learn of the art of the painter who was an important part of the cultural landscape in this part of the country.

 

Through his mythological and religious compositions, the artist developed reformist and mystical themes, present also in his easel paintings, prints, sketches for murals, cartoons for tapestries and illustrations. The oil paintings preserved by the East Prussian Regional Museum – portraits, landscapes, mythological scenes allow to discover the multifaceted legacy by the artist and the world of his ideas.

 

The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of tours, lectures and other events, information on these is posted on the website of the Pranas Domšaitis Gallery and social media. The exhibition Richard Pfeiffer (1878–1962) – Painter of Sacred Spaces will run until 20 September.

 

 

Organisers: Pranas Domšaitis Gallery, East Prussian Regional Museum (Germany)

Partner Scheu Hugo Museum in Šilutė

Curators: Dr Jörn Barfod, Jan Rüttinger

Coordinator Aurelija Malinauskaitė

Designer Edita Namajūnienė

Editor Dr Ilona Čiužauskaitė

Translators: Albina Strunga (English), Regina Makauskienė (German)

 

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33 Liepu st, LT-92145, Klaipėda, Lithuania
+370 46 410 412
domsaicio.galerija@lndm.lt

See also

Exhibition

Richard Pfeiffer (1878–1962) – Painter of Sacred Spaces