Alexej von Jawlensky

Private Collection
Galerie Beyeler, Basel (acquired by 1957)
Sale: Kunsthaus Lempertz, Cologne, 8th & 9th December 1965, lot 420
Sale: Hauswedell & Nolte, Hamburg, June 1968, lot 594
Ernesto F. Blohm, Germany (purchased at the above sale)
Thence by descent to the present owner in 1986

Basel, Galerie Beyeler, Alexej von Jawlensky, 1957, no. 17, illustrated in the catalogue
Bremen, Kunsthalle, Alexej von Jawlensky, 1957-58, no. 9, illustrated in the catalogue
Bern, Kunsthalle (& travelling within Germany), Hanna Bekker vom Rath, Frankfurter Kunstkabinett 1947-57. Zehn-Jahres-Austellung, 1957-58, no. 11, illustrated in the catalogue
Stuttgart, Württembergischer Kunstverein & Mannheim, Städtische Kunsthalle, Jawlensky, 1958, no. 11, illustrated in the catalogue
Los Angeles, Stephen Silagy Galleries, no. 13 illustrated in the catalogue
Basel, Galerie Beyeler, Les Fauves, 1959, no. 32
Paris, Galerie Charpentier, Les Fauves, 1962, no. 66
The Pasadena Art Museum, Alexej Jawlensky, A Centennial Exhibition, 1964, no. 9

Clemens Weiler, Alexej Jawlensky, Cologne, 1959, no. 524
Maria Jawlensky, Lucia Pieroni-Jawlensky & Angelica Jawlensky, Alexej von Jawlensky, Catalogue raisonné of the Oil Paintings, London, 1991, vol. I, no. 198, illustrated p. 168

The board is stable. UV light examination reveals a spot of retouching (approx. 1cm. wide) to the centre of the fence at the lower part of the composition. There is some general abrasion to the extreme edges from handling and possibly previous framing. Otherwise, the colours are bright and fresh and this work is in overall very 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."

Painted in 1908, Häuser mit Vorgärten is a vibrant depiction of the picturesque Bavarian village Murnau and dates from the first of three summers that Jawlensky spent working in the company of Wassily Kandinsky, Gabriele Münter and Marianne Werefkin. The colourful village buildings of Murnau and the surrounding landscape inspired and excited this group of artists. For Jawlensky, this first summer in Murnau proved a significant turning point and heralded a period of great creativity and productivity. Inspired by the avant-garde techniques of the Post-Impressionists and especially the Fauves, to which he had been exposed during his travels through Europe, Jawlensky took the lead in guiding the group's artistic evolution towards an increased abstraction. He began to abandon the ideal of representational realism for a more expressive style of simplified forms and vibrant colours. Formal composition and colour became central to Jawlensky’s art, allowing narrative references only a marginal role. Jawlensky’s foremost goal became to reduce the picture to its essence and to create a synthesis of the impression of nature and his inner vision thereof.

Paul Gauguin was another deciding indirect influence on the work of Jawlensky. Jan Verkade, a former student of Paul Gauguin and friend to Jawlensky, introduced him to the Cloisonné technique used in metal-work, consisting in surrounding and separating planes of colour through the use of dark linear contours. Drawing on this rich tradition, Jawlensky developed a personal style that became the foundation for his subsequent œuvre.

In the present work, the atmospheric palette of blues and greens beautifully captures the soft evening light. Throughout the composition Jawlensky has allowed for areas of negative space; where the warm ochre background is used skilfully to complement the cooler tones. In its innovative use of colour, its loose and spontaneous execution and the clear outlines of the buildings, Häuser mit Vorgärten is a wonderful example of Jawlensky’s personal and unique pictorial language.