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Alexej von Jawlensky, born in Russia in 1865 and died in Wiesbaden in 1941, gave up a career as an officer to become a painter. He was taught by the then very successful Russian painter Marianne von Werefkin (1860–1938). In 1896 the two moved to Munich, now in a relationship. Jawlensky's artistic development was marked by several stays in Paris, where he was particularly impressed by the art of Henri Matisse (1869–1954) and the so-called 'Fauves'.

His exploration of the Fauves' heightened use of colour can be seen in this painting of a 'Girl with Peonies'. The half-figure of a girl, probably the frequently portrayed model Resi from Munich, appears against a bright turquoise green background. The sculptural quality of the figure is subdued in favour of the strong surface effect of the paint. Framed by broad black outlines, the composition is dominated by the strong red colour of the jacket, the conspicuous hat and the bouquet. Jawlensky disregarded the specificity of the clothing and painted the entire upper part of the sitter's body with small blue dots, the colour of which is repeated in the hat. The face is the only detail that has been modelled to some extent. Her expression is graceful and is emphasised by the rich bouquet of flowers.