Artwork
The Young Christ
The Young Christ is an oil painting by Alexej von Jawlensky. It dates from 1920 and is held in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1920, *The Young Christ* is an oil painting by Russian-born Alexej von Jawlensky, who worked primarily in Germany. The work is held by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and presents a stylized, contemplative portrait that references Christian iconography while reflecting the artist’s modernist concerns.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a youthful face rendered with a calm, down‑cast gaze and a slightly ajar mouth, suggesting introspection or silent prayer. Though the figure is not overtly narrative, the title and the serene expression evoke a spiritual presence, aligning the portrait with traditional depictions of Christ while remaining abstracted.
Technique & Style
Jawlensky employs a palette of soft pastels juxtaposed with assertive outlines, creating layers of color that suggest volume without realistic modeling. Geometric simplifications and bold linear marks give the image a contemporary, almost decorative quality, while the creamy background provides a subtle tonal field that unifies the surface.
History & Provenance
The painting emerged during Jawlensky’s involvement with several avant‑garde circles, including the New Munich Artist’s Association, Der Blaue Reiter, and Die Blaue Vier. After changing hands in private collections, it entered the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s holdings, where it remains part of the museum’s early‑20th‑century European painting collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alexej Georgewitsch von Jawlensky (Russian: Алексе́й Гео́ргиевич Явле́нский, romanized: Alekséy Geórgiyevich Yavlénskiy; 13 March 1864 – 15 March 1941), surname also spelt as Yavlensky, was a Russian expressionist painter active in Germany.
