Portrait of a Woman 1912

Alexej von Jawlensky made this oil painting, Portrait of a Woman, with a dedication to capturing more than just likeness. The surface has this incredible mosaic of color. Look at the way he builds up the face – yellows, pinks, and oranges that aren't about realism but about feeling. It's like he’s thinking, how can I make this face glow from within? The brushstrokes are so present, you can practically feel him working the paint. In the top right corner there's this burst of red that's almost violent, but then it calms down into the softer hues around her face. It reminds me of the way Matisse uses color, but Jawlensky is doing something all his own. What really strikes me is the tension between representation and abstraction. Like he's saying, yeah, it's a portrait, but it's also about the pure joy of painting. Isn’t that what art’s all about?