Still Life with Fruit, Pot and Cup

Still Life with Fruit, Pot and Cup:

is a 1903 painting by Russian painter Alexej von Jawlensky who died in March of 1941. Wikipedia says, "From 1929 Jawlensky suffered from progressively crippling arthritis, which necessitated a reduced scale and finally forced a cessation in his painting in 1937." It must be hard to have such a talent and then to gradually lose the ability to paint. Of course, I can't imagine having that much talent to begin with, but to have it and then lose it...

The picture at the top of the post includes a cup to honor our commitment to share beverage-related posts for submission to T Tuesday (see information on that gathering at the bottom of the post), but Jawlensky is best known for a series of Mystical Heads (1917-1919) and his Saviour's Faces (1918-1920). Here's an example from the Mystical Heads series:

and one from his Saviour's Faces series:

He said he was inspired by Russian icons. from Wikiquote:

Every artist works within a tradition. I am a native of Russia. My Russian soul has always been close to the art of old Russia, the Russian icons, Byzantine art, the mosaics in Ravenna, Venice, Rome, and to Romanesque art. All these artworks produced a religious vibration in my soul, as I sensed in them a deep spiritual language. This art was my tradition. -from his letter to the National Socialist State cultural administration (to ask permission to exhibit his work, which was turned down, ed.) 1939; as quoted in Alexej von Jawlensky, Museum Boymans-van-Beuningen, Rotterdam; 25/9 – 27/11-1994, p. 24.

This is a short, 4-minute overview of a 40 work exhibition including paintings and sketches from his earlier to his later pieces:

Please join the online Tuesday link gathering where people share a drink and sometimes their own art.

It's Super Tuesday here in Tennessee, and I'm at a polling place holding a Bernie Sanders sign and handing out flyers. Who knows when I'll be back, but I'll visit when I can. In the meantime, go vote! Or, if today's not your day, discuss your political choice with someone. You might learn something.