Maturity 1912

Alexej von Jawlensky built up this painting, ‘Maturity’, from many bold strokes of oil paint, like a mosaic of feeling. Look at the way yellow dominates, but is punctuated by these jewel-like colors. I can imagine Jawlensky wrestling with this portrait, layering the paint, scraping it back, searching for the right balance. Those black outlines are so sure, decisive, but the rest feels like it’s in constant flux, always becoming. The eyes, those intense green triangles, draw you in, don't they? They remind me of the way El Greco elongated faces, reaching for something beyond the surface. Painters are always talking to each other across time, picking up where someone else left off, pushing the conversation further. And ultimately, aren't we all just trying to figure out how to capture something real and true about being human? It’s a process, not a destination.