Wiesbaden's Jawlensky Collection: A Century of Devotion

The Museum Wiesbaden holds the world's largest collection of works by Russian expressionist Alexej von Jawlensky, with 116 pieces spanning his entire career. The city became his final home in 1921, where he was greeted with a 'Jawlenskyfimmel' (Jawlensky craze) among local collectors. The museum's current presentation includes masterpieces like 'Dame mit Fächer' (1909), acquired in 1956 for 8,000 marks, and recent acquisitions such as 'Bahnhof Füssen im März' (1905). The collection survived the Nazi era's 'degenerate art' purges through postwar acquisitions. Jawlensky's later series, including 'Mystische Köpfe', 'Heilandsgesichter', and 'Abstrakte Köpfe', are well represented, as are his final 'Meditationen' (1934-1937), created despite his debilitating arthritis. The artist died in Wiesbaden in 1941 and is buried on the Neroberg. The museum also offers a 'Jawlensky Pfad' trail through the city. Additionally, the article reports on recent auction results: a Gerhard Marcks bronze 'Sich niedertuende Kuh' sold for €22,000, a Carla Accardi double-sided painting fetched €400,000 at Dorotheum, and a Brancusi bronze 'Danaïde' achieved a record $93 million at Christie's.