Alexej von Jawlensky

Andreas Jawlensky, Locarno (the artist's son; by descent in 1941) 
Galerie Alex Vömel, Dusseldorf (by 1973)
Private Collection, Germany
Wolfgang Wittrock Kunsthandel, Dusseldorf (by 1990)
Acquired from the above by the present owners on 14th August 1990

Clemens Weiler, Alexej Jawlensky, Cologne, 1959, no. 221, illustrated p. 243
Maria Jawlensky, Lucia Pieroni-Jawlensky & Angelica Jawlensky, Alexej von Jawlensky, Catalogue Raisonné of the Oil-Paintings 1914-1933, London, 1992, vol. II, no. 900, illustrated p. 203

The board is stable. There are no signs of retouching visible under ultra-violet light. Apart from some tiny spots of pigment loss in the yellow area of the head and in the lower left quadrant of the board (visible in the catalogue illustration), this work is in good condition. Colours: The blue is more turquoise and the green is brighter in the original, overall more subtle.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
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Painted in 1917, Mystischer Kopf: Dreiviertelprofil, is an example of the artist's series 'Mystischer Kopf' and emphasises the artist's maturity in depicting the subject matter. Jawlensky stylised the face even further, reducing it to a vivid formula full of life. The face is composed of a few clear lines drawn with sensitive brushstrokes, whilst the spaces between these lines pulsate with colour of the most delicate shades. 

Emmy Scheyer, the artist's muse and model gives an insight into Jawlensky's artistic aims of that period: 'Jawlensky has transported the human head into a language of abstract life; he has lifted it out of its earthly existence in order to reveal the soul and the spirit. He has incorporated into his paintings the disciplines of the other arts: architecture in the balance of the colours, music in the sonorous rhythm of the colours, dance as the line of the colours, sculpture as the form of the colours, poetry as the content or prophetic promise of the colours, and painting as the symphonic recapitulation of colours' (Clemens Weiler, Alexej Jawlensky, Heads, Faces, Meditations, London, 1971, p. 16).