Head in blue 1912

Alexej von Jawlensky painted this head in blue with oils, and what grabs me first is his fearless dance with color. It's like he's not just seeing a face, but feeling it, expressing it through a wild palette. The paint here is juicy, thick in places, making the surface alive. Look at the nose – that slash of orange and red. It's not just a nose; it's a statement. And the eyes, pools of dark intensity, they draw you in, don’t they? Jawlensky isn't trying to hide the process, you can practically see the strokes of his brush. He revels in the physicality of paint. Jawlensky reminds me of Emil Nolde, another painter who wasn't afraid to let emotions run wild on the canvas. But Jawlensky, with his bold colors and simplified forms, carves out his own space, inviting us to see the world, and ourselves, in a new, vibrant light.