Große Meditation: Stunden vor Christi Geburt. 1936.
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 “XII. 1936” and “N. 7.” on the reverse. Also inscribed “Meditation XLVI” by Andreas Jawlensky, the artist's son, on the reverse, as well as typographically titled on a label. 25.5 x 19.9 cm (10 x 7.8 in). Backing board: 42 x 32 cm (16,5 x 12,5 in).
[AW].

• The subtlest color gradations, from delicate purple to red and vibrant turquoise.
• In this series, Jawlensky reached the pinnacle of painterly abstraction.
• The uncompromising commitment to these compositions resembles a cultic act.
• From the artist's estate.
• A “Great Meditation” from the same year is in the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

PROVENANCE: Artist's estate.
Private collection, North Rhine-Westphalia (acquired from the above in 1991).

EXHIBITION: Winterausstellung, Wolfgang Wittrock Kunsthandel, Düsseldorf, 1991/92, cat. no. 28 (illustrated in color).

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. 2107 (illustrated in color).
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Clemens Weiler, Alexej Jawlenksy. Köpfe - Gesichter - Meditationen, Hanau 1970, cat. no. 1037.

"My work is my prayer, but a passionate prayer spoken through colors."
Alexej von Jawlensky to Emmy "Galka" Scheyer, May 12, 1936, quoted from: Alexej von Jawlensky, Museum Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden 1991, p. 294.