Self-portrait 1905

Alexej von Jawlensky made this self-portrait with oil on cardboard, though the exact date is unknown. Look at the marks he’s making; it’s like he’s building the face out of dabs of pure color. I love how he doesn't blend them, trusting the eye to do the work. The surface has this raw, immediate quality. You can really see the texture of the cardboard coming through the paint. The colors are pretty intense. The red background really makes the cooler tones in the face pop. He's using greens, yellows, even a bit of purple in there. It's all very deliberate and each mark contributes to the overall form, creating a real sense of depth and volume. The way he renders the eyes is particularly interesting. They're reduced to these simple, dark shapes, yet they convey so much. It’s like he’s trying to capture the essence of a person with the fewest possible strokes. It reminds me of some of Matisse's portraits, where he's simplifying forms to get at something more fundamental.