Red Blossom 1910

Alexej von Jawlensky made this painting, Red Blossom, with oil on board. The deep reds, blues, and greens, they’re so lush! You can see that he’s really built this figure up through layers of color, one on top of the other. I imagine him, really going for it, not fussing too much about getting it “right,” but trusting his gut. The red in the background is really singing out, almost vibrating against the blues of the figure’s robe. Then the red blossom she is holding bounces forward. Painting like this is physical, you know? Jawlensky must have been moving around, stepping back, squinting, deciding where to put that next dab of color. It reminds me a bit of Matisse, the way he fearlessly uses color to create mood and feeling. It’s like they’re in conversation, these painters, across time and space. And me, well, I love how it feels unfinished, like a moment captured in time. It makes me wonder what I would do if I picked up the brush, if I could somehow join their conversation too.