Alexej Georgewitsch von Jawlensky (1864 - 1941) was a Russian expressionist painter active in Germany. He was a key member of the New Munich Artist's Association (Neue Künstlervereinigung München), Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) group and later the Die Blaue Vier (The Blue Four). The self portrait shown above was made in 1912.
Portrait of the Dancer Alexander Sakharoff (1909)
One of the most iconic portraits of the expressionists movement. Alexander Sakharoff was a Russian Empire dancer, teacher, and choreographer who emigrated to France. His androgynous appearance made him a suitable subject for the expressionist movement that started around that time.
Shokko in a Red Hat (1909)
Jawlensky's main claim to fame is his series of female portraits that he made in the period before the Great War. This is one of the first. The model, named as Shokko, has featured more often in his work.
More Shokko, sporting another special hat.
Oberstdorf - Mountains (1912)
Young Girl in a Flowered Hat (1910)
An interesting portrait, where the title emphasizes the hat, whereas I am more intrigued by the shape at the bottom. A fan?
Murnau (1910)
In addition to his portraits, von Jawlensky also left us with paintings of villages and mountain landscapes. Here we have his take on the village Murnau am Staffelsee in Bavaria, an expressionist hub: Gabriele Münter and Wassily Kandinsky of the Blaue Reiter artistic collective lived there for several years.
Schokko with Wide-Brimmed Hat (1910)
The Violet Turban (1911)
One of the most sunning portraits in his oeuvre, not just the striking colours but also the oversized eyes make a strong impression.
The mountains that surround the small town of Oberstdorf in Germany's Allgäu Alps is the subject of this painting.
Princess Turandot (1912)
Many artists of the time were inspired by Asia and von Jawlensky was no exception. Here he depicts Princess Turandot, whom Puccini immortalized later in his opera. We have seen this painting in an exhibition in The Hague some years ago.
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Head in blue (1912)
Another unnamed model, and another striking portrait. No wonder that the CPO record company has used a number of these portraits for the covers of their CD's.
Loneliness (1912)
Another mountainscape in typical expressionist style - location unidentified, but most likely the alps in Germany or Austria.
Woman with a Green Fan (1912)
This portrait is almost over the top in its use of colours and lines. But instantly recognizable as a von Jawlensky.
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Red Hat (1912)
It is interesting to see how often the titles use the headwear to distinguish one from the other. This is a personal favourite of mine.
Copyright statement: images all in public domain.
