
Expressionist painter Alexej von Jawlensky (1864-1941) developed a mystical approach to portraiture that bridged Russian icon traditions and European modernism. Born in Torzhok, Russia, he left the Imperial Guard to pursue art, eventually settling in Munich where he became a central figure in the German avant-garde. His portraits use bold, contrasting colors and directional brushstrokes to convey spiritual intensity. The "Mystical Heads" series (1917-19) and "Savior's Faces" series (1918-20) transformed the human face into vehicles for meditation.
Jawlensky studied under Ilya Repin in Russia before moving to Munich in 1896, where he enrolled at Anton Ažbe's school alongside Wassily Kandinsky. Exposure to Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, and Henri Matisse at Paris exhibitions shaped his bold color sense. In 1909, he co-founded the Munich New Artists' Association, and in 1912 he joined Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider). During World War I, he fled to Switzerland, where his series paintings took on increasingly abstract, spiritual qualities. In 1924, he established Die Blaue Vier (The Blue Four) with Paul Klee, Lyonel Feininger, and Kandinsky. Crippling arthritis forced him to stop painting in 1937, the same year Nazi Germany condemned his work as "degenerate." His paintings hang at the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim, and Museum Wiesbaden.
4 paintings catalogued with museum locations
3 museums display Jawlensky's works. Click any museum to see visiting info and the specific works they hold.
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Browse CollectionWuppertal, Germany
1 work on display