G. Alexei Jawlensky (1864-1941)

Artist AG Jawlensky, a descendant of graphs Rostopchina friend B. Kandinsky , left Russia permanently in 1914, due to the outbreak of the First World War, and all its subsequent creative life was spent in Germany, so von Jawlensky joined the art history of the two countries.

During the XX century. - Fauvism, expressionism, constructivism and abstract art - touched him, but in fact Jawlensky was a lonely artist, going his own way, constantly seeking.

Genre in which he worked the most and which, apparently, was in charge of his creative Throwing and deep reflection - a portrait. The beautiful faces, the bright, "icon-" that stood out from the dark background, live in the paintings Jawlensky. Although he wrote and landscapes and still lifes.

He began attending classes Petersburg Academy of Arts, when there occurred a fruitful changes due to the arrival of A. Kuindzhi and I. Repin . In addition to classes they Jawlensky lot of time spent in various art galleries in the Hermitage. In 1897, he moved to Munich to continue his art education at the famous teacher Aschbe, which was already studied I. Grabar and D. Kardovsky . Here he began his friendship with B. Kandinsky .

At the time of his acquaintance with Henri Matisse in 1905, the artist was a serious reorientation of German Lenbach F. and F. Stuck to V. Van Gogh, Cezanne P., P. Gauguin. The main thing that interests Jawlensky in this period - the "life colors" for the art of emotional he sees the future of art. Episodic, in fact, the involvement of Jawlensky in 1906 in St. Petersburg exhibition "World of Art" with M. Dobuzhinsky , V. Serov , A. Somov to the invitation of Sergei Diaghilev.

But soon a very important meeting with the artist E. Verkade, a former friend Gauguin, who later became a monk at the Monastery of Baron. Numerous conversations about the ownership of art divine plan, approval of luminous bronzaniya latest tools of painting in the new century, played a crucial role in the internal quest Jawlensky. Reflecting these quests are his work in 1911, blazing open paints an extremely sharp combinations.

It was a moment in the life of von Jawlensky, when all the contradictions sharpened, fixed blade ambitious internal battle in which he was born a new spiritual "self." Along with Kandinsky in Munich, he was the organizer of the New Art Society, and in 1912-13. joined the group "The Blue Rider".

From 1914 to 1921 he has been living in San Pres (Switzerland). It appeared his famous "Variations": landscapes, still lifes, "head". He goes to the creation of summarizing images and portraits of the need to gradually lose similarities, turning into the "head" ("Jackdaws", "Lola", "Spanish flu", "purple turban", etc.).

Gradually extinguished the brightness of colors, for 1918-19. in the works increases linearity, felt the echoes of Cubism. Composition "Protoform" (1919) reflects the artist's new harmony.

In 1921, the artist finally settled in Wiesbaden. Along with Kandinsky, Klee and P. L. Feininger creates Jawlensky in 1924, the union of "Blue Four," which lasted very long. Blue for members of the association symbolized spiritual insight, an area of ​​high human dreams and freedom. During this period, Jawlensky "constructs" head and clears flavor tends to reduce the amount of means of expression, but the deepening of their capabilities.

The last decade of the artist's life - the most important in his creative and spiritual journey - noted the dramatic events. Eye disease, the rise to power of the Nazis and the subsequent confiscation of his work with the prohibition to participate in exhibitions could not break the will of the artist, his craving for creativity. Only now working its dark in color, paint heavily diluted with oil, they are covered by a plane as it carelessly. But the song titles speak for themselves: "Karma", "The Great Secret," "Aurora," "Sacred Time", "The Prophet from Tibet" (all 1930). We know that he worked in ecstasy, with tears in his eyes, and uttered, turning the inner eye to God, not expecting to exhibit their work. The German artist's friends called him "Ivan Karamazov."