Easter Sunday 1932

Alexej von Jawlensky made this painting, Easter Sunday, with oil on board. The first thing I notice is the way Jawlensky builds the image with these broad, simple strokes. It’s like he's not trying to represent something exactly, but rather capture a feeling, a sense of light, almost like a memory resurfacing. The texture is really present, you can almost feel the push and pull of the brush across the surface. I am drawn to the lower left corner where these bold, dark lines snake along the edge. They seem to anchor the lighter, more ethereal forms in the center. They feel decisive, like a counterpoint to the more diffused colours of pink, blue, and yellow. It's as though he's deliberately balancing control with spontaneity, a tension that gives the painting its energy. Thinking about other artists who played with abstraction like this, maybe someone like Hilma af Klint, with her spiritual approach to form and colour. This piece feels part of that conversation, always open, always evolving.