Dichterin 1917

Alexej von Jawlensky made this painting, Dichterin, with oil on board. Look at the way he's laid down those colors. It's like he's not just painting a face, but building it, brick by brick, with strokes of pure pigment. The texture is really something. You can almost feel the push and pull of the brush, the way he’s loaded it up with paint and then dragged it across the surface. The colors aren't blended, they sit side by side. Take that maroon daub on the cheek—it’s not a blush, it’s a statement. It's raw and unapologetic. You can see every mark, every decision. It’s all there on the surface. Jawlensky reminds me a bit of Emil Nolde, another artist who wasn't afraid to let his emotions spill out onto the canvas. Both seemed to understand that painting isn't just about representation, it’s about feeling, about making those feelings visible. And sometimes, the most honest thing you can do is leave the mess right there for everyone to see.