Alexej von Jawlensky

Galerie Beyeler, Basel
Sidney Janis Gallery, New York (acquired by 1957; sale: Sotheby's, New York, 26th April 1961, lot 47)
Mrs Victor Leventritt, New York
Sale: Sotheby's, London, 12th April 1972, lot 39
Waddington Galleries, London (purchased at the above sale)
Galería Maison Bernard, Caracas (acquired in 1977)
Private Collection (acquired from the above in November 1980; sale: Christie’s, New York, 5th May 2010, lot 440)
Salis & Vertes, Zurich
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2011

New York, Sidney Janis Gallery, Jawlensky, 1957, no. 13, illustrated in the catalogue
New York, Leonard Hutton Galleries, Fauves & Expressionists, 1968, no. 33, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

Maria Jawlensky, Lucia Pieroni-Jawlensky & Angelica Jawlensky, Alexej von Jawlensky, Catalogue raisonné of the oil paintings, Bonn, 1992, vol. II, no. 860, illustrated p. 187

The board is stable. UV examination reveals a small spot of fluorescence and three tiny flecks to the centre of the upper left quadrant, probably inherent to the pigments. The upper and lower left corners and the lower right corner are slightly scuffed, consistent with age and handling. This work appears to be in overall good condition.
"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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This vivid and serene work by Alexej von Jawlensky was completed during the artist’s exile in Switzerland just after the outbreak of the First World War. Having been expelled from Germany and fearing the revolutions in his home country of Russia, Von Jawlensky settled in Switzerland, in the Lake side town of St Prex.

During his residence at St Prex his artistic style underwent a transformation. He moved away from the powerfully conceived, boldly outlined portraits of his earlier career, becoming more graceful and luminous in his treatment of the human form. It was during this period that he worked on the Mystic Heads series as well as the Variations, scenes of St Prex viewed from his studio window. In its sinuous depiction of a reclining nude, Akt in St. Prex recalls Henri Matisse's celebrated Poissons rouge et sculpture from 1912, currently in The Museum of Modern Art in New York. This particular work represents an intriguing departure from those motifs and a rare treatment both of an interior chamber and of the female odalisque, a subject Jawlensky had previously tackled predominantly only in pencil or crayon sketches.