Variation before 1921

Alexej von Jawlensky made this small-scale oil painting, using strokes and swathes of thick paint, in a spirit of experimentation. I can imagine him, brush in hand, building up layers of color, each stroke a response to the last, as the forms emerge through a process of trial and error. There’s a freedom and playfulness in the way Jawlensky handles the paint. Blues, greens, reds, and yellows jostle against one another, creating a vibrant and energetic surface. I can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the canvas, intuitively laying down each stroke with a sense of purpose and conviction. Look at the way the colors blend and bleed into one another, creating a sense of depth and movement within the composition. It reminds me of the work of other painters, like Gabriele Münter, who were also pushing the boundaries of representation. Painting is a conversation across time. Artists build on each other's ideas, inspiring new forms of expression and ways of seeing. It’s all about ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple readings.