"Abstrakter Kopf: Winter", 1931

oil on linen-finish paper laid down on cardboard

33,6 x 25,5 cm (13 1/4 x 10 in.)

with monogram lower left verso inscribed by Galka Emmy Scheyer 'Jawlensky, Winter, 1931, no. 28, Made in Germany'

About the work

In the "Abstract Heads", the expressivity of earlier works was replaced by an overall tonal harmony: the result is a vibrating stillness. The closed eyes symbolise inner perception,which enables access to transcendental experiences and realities. Jawlensky aimed to offer the viewer the equivalent of this experience through his paintings. He often chose titles which suggest a certain mood, which the colour composition evoked synesthetically. By evoking certain associations and sentiments with the work as a whole, Jawlensky at the same time offered the contemplator the possibility to tune into the metaphysical essence, which was the aim of his entire art.