Alexej Jawlensky: Variations

Influenced by Byzantine art, Fauvism and German Expressionism, Jawlensky explored color, religious iconography and portraiture in his masterful serial paintings

Russian German painter Alexej Jawlensky (1864-1941) found his own artistic voice late in life. He was part of the revitalization of painting in the early 20th century, developing his Expressionist style through exchanges with the Fauves in Paris and his peers in Germany, including friends in and around Der Blaue Reiter. Until arthritis ended his ability to paint, Jawlensky explored color, religious iconography and portraiture in his masterful serial paintings. HIs last series of works, Meditations, comprises more than 1,000 paintings: modest in format, yet sensational. These paintings, which he described as "prayers in color," became an artistic redemption for Jawlensky, who throughout his life sought to connect his spiritual reflections with his painting. Featuring a clothbound spine, this small, slender and appealing volume features essays on Jawlensky's unique artistic projects, as well as an encyclopedia of his life and work.