The Thinking Woman c. 1912

Alexej von Jawlensky's 'The Thinking Woman' presents a compelling vision through bold color and simplified form. The woman’s face, rendered in blocks of yellow, red, and blue, rests upon her hand, set against an ultramarine background. Jawlensky's structural approach breaks down the figure into essential shapes, creating a dialogue between abstraction and representation. The flatness of the color fields destabilizes traditional notions of depth, challenging our perception of space. This fragmentation mirrors early 20th-century philosophies that questioned stable, unified identities. The thick brushstrokes and non-naturalistic colors underscore the materiality of the paint itself, drawing attention to the act of painting. By reducing the figure to a composition of color and shape, Jawlensky prompts us to contemplate the intrinsic qualities of the medium, inviting ongoing interpretation of form and meaning.