Große Meditation: "Herr! lass mich erglühen". 1937.
Oil on canvas-textured paper, originally mounted on artist's board.
Monogrammed lower left and dated lower right. Inscribed with the artist's name, presumably by Lisa Kümmel, as well as “III. 1937” and “N. 21.” on the reverse. Also inscribed “Meditation LXII” by Andreas Jawlensky, the artist's son, on the reverse, as well as typographically titled on a label. 24.8 x 17.7 cm (9.7 x 6.9 in).

Mounted in a frame. [AW].

• Dark, glowing “Meditation” in a mysterious color scheme.
• Masterful visualization of Jawlensky's excellent glazed painting style.
• Jawlensky transforms the human face into an icon-like manifestation of religious feeling with great empathy.
• After the National Socialists had banned Jawlensky from exhibiting in 1933, he began the series “Meditations” the following year.
• From the estate of the artist.

PROVENANCE: Estate of the artist.
Private collection.
Wolfgang Wittrock Fine Arts, Düsseldorf.
Private collection, North Rhine-Westphalia.

LITERATURE: Maria Jawlensky, Lucia Pieroni-Jawlensky, Angelica Jawlensky, Alexej von Jawlensky. Catalogue Raisonné of the Oil Paintings, vol. 3: 1933-1937, Munich 1993, cat. no. 2161 (illustrated in color).
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Clemens Weiler, Alexej Jawlensky. Köpfe - Gesichte - Meditationen, Hanau 1970, cat. no. 1079.
Neumeister, Munich, June 4, 1994, lot 298.

"I just sit and work. This is my favorite time. I work for myself, only for myself and my God."
Alexej von Jawlensky to Emmy "Galka" Scheyer, May 12, 1936, quoted from: Alexej von Jawlensky, Museum Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden 1991, p. 294.