Mystischer Kopf (1917)

Alexej von Jawlensky is the artist behind "Mystischer Kopf", dated 1917. Historical background, 1917: Posters, magazines, and illustrated books were major ways for the public to meet new art and design. The first decades of the twentieth century were a period of rapid experiment, with Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, and the first abstract painting appearing within a few years of each other. The catalogue places it in Abstract. The format is portrait. Abstract, a short history: Movements of later decades, including Abstract Expressionism and geometric abstraction, carried non-representational ideas into new scales and materials. Abstract art moves away from depicting recognisable objects and relies on colour, line, shape, and surface instead.

Buying "Mystischer Kopf" means getting a digital file, not a physical print: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI, delivered by email once payment is confirmed. A 300 DPI file is intended for printing at home or at a local print shop, where you can choose a matte, satin, or fine-art paper to suit the room. A portrait format suits narrow wall spaces, hallways, and the area beside a door or window. A simple frame with a mat often helps an image settle comfortably into a room. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks.

Russian, 1864–1941

If you like the visual language of Alexej von Jawlensky, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.