Portrait of a Woman 1912

Alexej von Jawlensky made this portrait of a woman with oil paint. The brushstrokes are bold and purposeful, like each one is laying down not just color but also feeling. Imagine Jawlensky, standing before the canvas, maybe stepping back, squinting, then lunging forward again with another daub of pigment. The paint looks pretty thick, doesn't it? The face is a patchwork of yellows, pinks, oranges, blues, and greens. It's not just a face, it’s a whole mood. The way those eyes are downcast... what’s she thinking? And what was Jawlensky thinking? There’s a kind of quiet intensity, a sort of kinship with someone like Paula Modersohn-Becker. This painting, it feels like part of an ongoing conversation amongst painters, where each one tries to express something just beyond words. What does it say to you?