Blauer Berg 1910 by Alexej Von Jawlensky
Blauer Berg
Alexej Von Jawlensky’s Blauer Berg: The Birth of Color as Emotion
In 1910, as Europe teetered between tradition and avant-garde upheaval, Alexej Von Jawlensky painted Blauer Berg—a work that distilled the raw energy of German Expressionism into a single, luminous landscape. This was not a mountain rendered with topographical precision but a psychological terrain, where cobalt blues and emerald greens collide in thick, almost tactile strokes. The painting emerged during Jawlensky’s pivotal Murnau period, a time when he and fellow artists like Wassily Kandinsky retreated to the Bavarian countryside to forge a new visual language. Here, nature became a vehicle for inner experience, and Blauer Berg stands as a testament to that transformation: the landscape is less a place than a state of being.
The work’s title, translating to “Blue Mountain,” underscores its duality. Jawlensky’s mountain is both solid and dissolving, its contours softened by the artist’s signature Fauve-inspired palette and the broken brushwork he adopted from Van Gogh. Yet unlike the Impressionists, who sought to capture fleeting light, Jawlensky used color to excavate emotion. The deep ultramarine that dominates the composition was a radical choice in 1910—a hue more associated with religious iconography than secular landscapes. As the Tate notes, such chromatic intensity became a hallmark of Expressionism, where “artists aimed to express emotional experience rather than physical reality.” In Blauer Berg, the mountain’s azure mass feels less like earth and more like a portal, its vibrancy bordering on the spiritual.
Murnau and the Reinvention of Landscape
Jawlensky’s move to Murnau in 1908 marked a turning point. Alongside Kandinsky, Gabriele Münter, and Marianne von Werefkin, he formed the Neue Künstlervereinigung München (NKVM), a group that rejected academic constraints in favor of bold color and dynamic form. Blauer Berg was painted two years into this period, as Jawlensky’s style grew increasingly distilled. The work reflects his study of Bavarian folk art and Russian icons—flat planes of color applied with a near-sculptural thickness. Unlike his earlier portraits, where faces dissolved into geometric patterns, here the landscape itself becomes a mask: the mountain’s ridges echo the angularity of his later Variations series, while the sky’s acidic yellow foreshadows the chromatic explosions of Der Blaue Reiter.
Critics often frame Jawlensky as a bridge between Fauvism and abstraction, but Blauer Berg resists such linear narratives. The painting’s tension lies in its simultaneity—it is both primitive and sophisticated, a raw outburst of feeling contained by rigorous composition. The horizontal bands of color (deep blue, viridian, ochre) create a rhythm that pulls the eye across the canvas, while the mountain’s jagged silhouette anchors the scene. This duality—between movement and stasis, emotion and structure—defines Jawlensky’s Murnau works. As the Museum of Modern Art observes in its overview of German Expressionism, artists like Jawlensky “sought to convey the anxieties and aspirations of their time through distorted forms and unnatural colors.” In Blauer Berg, that distortion is not chaotic but deliberate, a reordering of nature to reveal its hidden pulse.
Jawlensky’s mountain is not a place to climb but a surface to feel—its ridges are less about geology than the contours of a face mid-expression, frozen between joy and melancholy.
The Alchemy of Color and Texture
Composition: The Architecture of Emotion
The painting’s power lies in its economy. Jawlensky divides the canvas into three horizontal zones: the mountain’s blue mass, the verdant middle ground, and the golden sky. This tripartite structure creates a sense of depth while flattening perspective—the foreground trees, rendered in thick viridian strokes, seem to vibrate against the mountain’s cool blues. The composition’s stability comes from the mountain’s triangular form, which counters the horizontal bands, yet the brushwork destabilizes this geometry. Close inspection reveals that the “ridges” are not single strokes but layered dabs of paint, building texture that catches the light.
Pallette: Chromatic Dissonance
The color scheme is a study in contrasts. The dominant ultramarine blue—a pigment Jawlensky often used for its spiritual associations—clashes with the acidic yellow-green of the sky. This juxtaposition creates an optical hum, a visual equivalent to the dissonant harmonies in Schoenberg’s atonal music (which Jawlensky admired). The mountain’s shadows, mixed with hints of violet and burnt sienna, add depth without resorting to chiaroscuro. Instead of modeling form through light, Jawlensky builds volume through color temperature, a technique he likely absorbed from Matisse’s Notes of a Painter (1908), where color was described as “a means of liberation.”
Own This Expressionist Landscape
Bring the bold chromatic energy of Blauer Berg into your space. This 30×40 cm framed print arrives ready to hang, with archival inks that preserve Jawlensky’s vibrant palette for decades. Free worldwide shipping ensures it reaches you wherever you are.
Add to Cart — $24999Where to Hang Blauer Berg
This print’s high-contrast palette and textured brushwork make it a focal point in modern interiors. The 30×40 cm size suits a variety of spaces: above a console table in an entryway, where the blue mountain echoes the depth of a hallway; or in a study, where its vibrant hues contrast with warm wood tones. For a cohesive look, pair it with neutral walls (soft gray or warm white) to let the colors dominate. In a living room, flank it with minimalist furniture—think a leather Eames chair or a sculptural floor lamp—to balance its emotional intensity. Avoid overly busy patterns nearby; the painting’s strength lies in its bold simplicity. For a dramatic effect, hang it opposite a large window, where natural light will animate the textured brushstrokes throughout the day.
What frame and materials are included?
The print arrives in a gallery-quality frame with a neutral matte finish, designed to complement the artwork without competing with it. The frame is crafted from sustainable wood composites, with a shatter-resistant acrylic glaze to protect the print. Hanging hardware is pre-installed for immediate display.
Where do you ship, and how long does delivery take?
We offer free shipping to all countries, with no minimum purchase. Delivery typically takes 5–10 business days, depending on your location. Each print is carefully packaged in our studios and shipped via tracked courier to ensure it arrives in perfect condition.
How long will the colors stay vibrant?
The print is produced using archival pigment inks on acid-free cotton rag paper, rated to resist fading for 80+ years under normal lighting conditions. The UV-protective acrylic glaze further shields the artwork from discoloration, ensuring the blues and greens remain as vivid as the day they were printed.
What is your return policy?
We offer a 30-day return window. If you’re not completely satisfied, contact our team to initiate a return. The print must be in its original condition, and we’ll provide a prepaid shipping label for hassle-free processing. Refunds are issued within 3 business days of receipt.
Sources & Further Reading
- Tate. "Expressionism." Tate.org.uk.
- The Museum of Modern Art. "German Expressionism." MoMA.org.
- The Art Story. "Alexej von Jawlensky." TheArtStory.org.
More Works by Alexej Von Jawlensky
Explore the evolution of Jawlensky’s style, from his early landscapes to the abstracted faces of his later years.
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Ready to Bring Jawlensky Home?
Blauer Berg arrives framed and ready to hang, with free worldwide shipping and a 30-day return guarantee. The 30×40 cm size fits seamlessly into most spaces, while the archival materials ensure the colors remain vivid for generations. Own this pivotal work of German Expressionism today.
Add to Cart — $24999