Alexej von Jawlensky

Estate of the Artist

Galerie Alex Vömel, Düsseldorf (acquired directly from the above)

Galerie Thomas, Munich

Galerie Rosenbach, Hanover (acquired from the above in 1981)

Sale: Galerie Worlfgang Ketterer, Munich, 10th June 1985, lot 487

Private Collection, Munich (purchased at the above sale)

Thence by descent from the above to the present owner

St Gallen, Galerie Erker, Alexej von Jawlensky, 1958

Munich, Galerie Thomas, Die ersten 15 Jahre, 1980, no. 110

Hanover, Galerie Rosenbach, Zwischen Tradition und Moderne, 1981, no. 189, illustrated in colour p. 13

Clemens Weiler, Alexej Jawlensky: Köpfe, Gesichte, Meditationen, Hanau, 1970, no. 1388

Maria Jawlensky, Lucia Pieroni-Jawlensky & Angelica Jawlensky, Alexej von Jawlensky, Catalogue Raisonné of the Oil Paintings, London, 1991, vol. III, no. 1922, illustrated in colour p. 270

The present delicate painting by Alexej von Jawlensky beautifully reflects the artist’s expressive style and his development to abstraction. A light grey vase with a green plant is positioned in front of a vibrant background divided into five colour fields. Each colour field shows vigorous brushwork with each stroke visible. Strong colours show the influence of Matisse and other artists of the group “Les Fauves”, which Jawlensky met on several journeys to Paris.

Painted in 1936, the present still life is a vivid composition that borrows its title from its upper left half where the colours blue and violet dominate. Jawlensky was a pioneer German expressionism, an art movement of the early twentieth century that was characterised by simplified forms and strong colours.

In his memoires, dictated to Lisa Kümmel in 1937, Jawlensky recalls: 'At that time I was painting mostly still lifes because in them I could more easily find myself. I tried in these still life paintings to go beyond the material objects and express in colour and form the thing which was vibrating within me, and I achieved some good results' (quoted in M. Jawlensky, L. Pieroni-Jawlensky, & A. Jawlensky, Alexej von Jawlensky: Catalogue Raisonné of the Oil Paintings, vol. I, 1890 - 1914, p. 30).