Portrait of a Woman
c. 1911
Medium
oil on board
Dimensions
overall: 64.5 x 53.7 cm (25 3/8 x 21 1/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CMC
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Collection of Arnold and Joan Saltzman
Accession Number
2020.112.6
Art Historical Context
**Portrait of a Woman** by Alexej von Jawlensky, created around 1911, captures the essence of early 20th-century Expressionism in a compact oil on board format, measuring 64.5 x 53.7 cm. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's CMC Department from the Collection of Arnold and Joan Saltzman, this painting exemplifies Jawlensky's transition toward bold, spiritual portraiture. Born in Russia and active in Munich, Jawlensky co-founded the Der Blaue Reiter group with Wassily Kandinsky in 1911–1912, embracing non-naturalistic colors and forms to express inner emotion amid Europe's prewar artistic fer...