Alexej von Jawlensky

Alexej von Jawlensky (1864-1941) was a Russian expressionist painter who is now best known as part of the early 20th century art scene in Germany. He was a key player in the New Munich Artist's Association (Neue Künstlervereinigung München) and Blue Rider (Der Blaue Reiter) groups alongside Wassily Kandinsky. His work is marked by a bold use of colour and a move from Post-Impressionism and Fauvism towards abstraction, particularly in his paintings of heads.