Emil Nolde

Self Portrait of Emil Nolde | Oil on Canvas | Mueseum of the Nolde Foundation

Emil Nolde is a German-danish painter and print-maker of the Expressionism movement. One of the first artists to “jump start” the Expressionism movement. Painting with watercolour and oil paints, Nolde was most well known for his paintings of flowers, landscapes, and folklore.

Unlike some artists in the Expressionism period that reacted to the horrors of WWI, Nolde was sympathetic to the Nazi party all the way until WWII (World War II).

In a cruel “relationship”, the Nazi party had a classification for all types of modern art calling it “degenerate art”. Nolde’s works were also included in this category. Although Nolde sympathized with the Nazi party, he managed to keep his past connections to the party separate from his art.

Furthermore, due to Nolde travelling alone and being in isolation from other parties for a long time, we can say that he is a example of a “isolated figure” or a “starving artist”.

Having been a prolific expressionist painter with a bold use of colours, Nolde also reintroduced the art of print making, and helped influence some other artists like Otto Mueller and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.

Works

Colored sky above the Marais | 1940 | Watercolour on Paper | Private Collection

Stormy Sea | Watercolour on Paper

Woman and Pierrot | Oil Painting | Museum of the Nolde Foundation

Large Poppies | Oil on Canvas | Neukirchen Germany

citation:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emil_Nolde

https://www.theartstory.org/artist-nolde-emil-life-and-legacy.htm

https://www.nationalgalleries.org/exhibition/emil-nolde-colour-life