Meditation N. 33 1935

Alexej von Jawlensky made ‘Meditation N. 33’ with oil paint, and what strikes me is its darkness, out of which light emerges. I can imagine him layering thin glazes of black, building up this inky ground. Then, little jolts of colour appear: a smudge of red, stripes of blue and crimson, a dash of orange. I’m thinking about how the physicality of the paint, applied with simple brushstrokes, gives this image such feeling. It’s not just about what is depicted, but how the paint itself becomes an event. Look at the long strokes of red, pulled down the canvas, like tears or rain. I wonder if Jawlensky was channeling something deep within himself, maybe even trying to find a form for the unsayable? Painters like Jawlensky were paving the way for later artists, encouraging us to embrace the intuitive, messy, and deeply personal aspects of painting. It is a reminder that art is not just about representation, but about feeling, being, and connecting.