Roter Abend - Blaue Berge 1910

Alexej von Jawlensky created this painting, Roter Abend - Blaue Berge, probably on a small board, with what looks like quick, confident strokes of oil paint. I can almost see him there, squinting at the sunset, trying to catch those last glimmers of light. The color palette is intense. We have the bold oranges of the sky clashing playfully with the blue of the mountains. It is like he’s saying: ‘Hey nature, I see you, and I’m going to turn up the volume a bit!’ I am sure that Jawlensky, like many artists, was in conversation with Van Gogh and Munch, playing with the legacy of those expressive brushstrokes and intense colors. It's a painting about feeling, about the fleeting moments of dusk, and about the act of seeing itself. So, next time you're staring at a sunset, remember Jawlensky and how he dared to paint the sky in a way that was all his own.