1000 Museums

Russian Expressionist painter Alexej von Jawlensky was born on March 13th, 1864 in Torschok Russia to a family of Russian aristocracy. Having visited the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition in his late teens, he developed an interest in painting and began partaking in painting and drawing. Due to financial difficulties after the death of his father in 1882, Jawlensky became a Russian guards officer yet his yearning to make art never ceased. By 1890 Jawlensky was able to pursue studies at the Academy of Arts while maintaining his military career. After his military career concluded in 1896, Jawlensky moved to Munich and began attending Anton Azbé’s painting and drawing school where he formed a friendship with artist Wassily Kandinsky.