Seeking Refuge

In Abel Pann’s somber painting entitled Refugees, people of all ages, from a young girl to an old man, proceed sadly into the unknown. They are fleeing a pogrom that took place in the Bessarabian capital Kishinev, in the southwestern corner of the Tsarist Russian Empire, in April 1903. The Kishinev pogrom sent shock waves across the Jewish world, galvanized Zionist activity

in Eastern Europe, and stimulated responses from writers and artists. They made a point of publicizing the murderous attack despite the authorities’ attempt to minimize its importance.

Abel Pann, born Russian Empire, active Paris and Jerusalem, 1883–1963, Refugees, 1906, Oil on canvas, Gift of the artist, B04082