Kleiner abstrakter Kopf 1934

Editor: Here we have Alexej von Jawlensky's "Kleiner abstrakter Kopf," painted in 1934 with oil. It strikes me as a really intense, almost severe face, but it is made up of very basic geometric shapes. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, this little head! To me, it’s like peering into someone’s soul, rendered in thick daubs of feeling. Jawlensky wrestled with abstraction throughout his life, didn't he? I imagine him standing there, wrestling with what he felt vs. what he saw, stripping away the unnecessary to get to the raw core of emotion, almost like the art is being torn. Do you feel any particular emotional resonance looking at it? Editor: Yes, definitely a sort of sadness or quiet resignation. The dark colours contribute to that, I think. But it’s still a powerful image. How does it connect to Jawlensky's other work? Curator: Jawlensky strived to capture spiritual essence rather than just physical appearance. So "Kleiner abstrakter Kopf," it slots into his "mystical heads" and later "abstract heads" series beautifully, marking his journey deeper into non-representational art. You can feel how each portrait he did built upon a kind of study; each brushstroke carries that struggle of representation. It feels deeply human, doesn’t it? What’s your takeaway? Editor: I can see that. It's more than just a face; it's a feeling captured in shapes and colours, a window into something deeper than just what the eye sees. Thank you for this interpretation. Curator: My pleasure! I feel like I better understand my own journey when looking at such sincere, intimate pieces of expression! It leaves us always yearning for our own growth and understanding.