Still Life with Begonia 1911

Alexej von Jawlensky painted this riot of colour and form, Still Life with Begonia, with oil on board. This painting is all about juicy colour; it’s like Fauvism dialed up to eleven! Look how he fearlessly puts orange against blue – colours that really vibrate. The paint is applied with confident, visible brushstrokes, not trying to hide the process, and he uses a thick outline to emphasise each form. The pink cloth in the foreground is a particular highlight, it sort of writhes on the canvas. It makes me think about how Matisse would use patterns and colour to flatten space and create these dazzling surfaces, yet Jawlensky's approach feels rawer, more emotionally charged. You can see the influence of artists like Van Gogh, but Jawlensky brings his own distinct voice to the conversation. It’s this kind of fearless experimentation that keeps the dialogue of painting alive, isn’t it?