Jawlensky was a Russian expressionist painter active in Germany who spent his career translating nature and feeling into colour. He bridged the vibrant colour theory of the French Fauves with the devotional solemnity of Russian Orthodox icons; combining bold and clashing colours with hard outlines that created works that felt modern yet carrying an ancient, mystical energy.
His early works were lush and richly coloured, helping to ignite the German Expressionist flame, but he later moved towards abstraction and a simplified, formulaic style. What carried through his work, however, was his attempt to capture the inner soul rather than outward reality. His work is striking for its intense, non-naturalistic colour palettes and his profound deeply striking focus on the human face.
