@tate

Today is #WorldRefugeeDay 🌍 and we are celebrating refugees — their courage, strength, and all that they bring to the world. Our gallery walls speak volumes about refugees’ creative contributions to our lives, and we're shining a light on artists who fled conflict or persecution – and who we're immensely thankful for today. Marie-Louise Von Motesiczky and her mother, who were Jewish, were forced to flee their home in Vienna when the Nazis took over in 1938. Just like many refugees today, Von Motesiczky had to leave with no notice or time to pack – she threw some things in a bag and headed for safety in Holland. Arriving in Amsterdam, they checked in to a small hotel. Whilst staying there she painted 'Still Life with Sheep', having posed a selection of objects on an ironing board. The sheep ornaments were among the few possessions she brought with her to Holland, and reminded her of home. She later recalled her motivation ‘to paint something beautiful...to paint and to dream’. 🐑 Marie-Louise Von Motesiczky, Still Life with Sheep 1938, on free display at Tate Modern.