Hélène 1911

Alexej von Jawlensky painted Hélène with oils, somewhere around the turn of the century, give or take. He wasn't trying to capture a likeness, but rather to explore the interplay of colours, and perhaps, the essence of Hélène. Look at the strokes—bold, confident, laying down pure colour, trusting the process. The skin, a mix of yellows and greens, feels almost luminous against that deep indigo dress. See how the face is simplified, almost mask-like, with those almond-shaped eyes staring right through you. There’s a real tension between abstraction and representation here, as if he's peeling back layers to reveal something deeper. This reminds me of some of the Fauvist painters, like Matisse, who were also pushing the boundaries of colour and form. With Jawlensky, though, there's this added layer of introspection, a sense of searching for something beyond the surface. It’s less about what we see, and more about what we feel.