Head in Black and Green - Alexej von Jawlensky

A striking portrait by Alexej von Jawlensky, featuring his signature abstract approach to the human face through bold colour and geometric form.

Alexej von Jawlensky produced this portrait during a period of intense focus on the human face. The work belongs to his series of abstract heads, where the artist reduced facial features to a set of recurring, rhythmic shapes. By this stage in his career, Jawlensky had moved away from the descriptive realism of his earlier years, opting instead for a symbolic language of colour and form. The composition is dominated by a central, mask-like visage. Jawlensky employs a palette of deep greens, blacks, and touches of red to define the structure of the face. The dark, neutral background pushes the subject forward, creating a sense of presence that is both static and meditative. The brushwork is deliberate, with visible texture that adds a tactile quality to the surface of the board. Jawlensky often referred to these works as 'meditations'. He sought to capture a spiritual essence rather than a physical likeness. The simplified geometry of the nose, eyes, and mouth reflects his interest in icons and the reduction of the human form to its most basic components. This approach allowed him to explore the relationship between colour and emotion without the distraction of narrative detail. The result is a work that functions as a study in balance, where the interplay of dark tones and saturated hues creates a sense of internal harmony. The artist's signature is visible in the lower corner, confirming his authorship of this particular iteration of his ongoing series.