Emil Nolde

Sale: Stuttgarter Kunstkabinett, Stuttgart, May 29-30, 1959, lot 659
Acquired at the above sale

The sheet has not been laid down. It has been T-hinged to the mat in several places along each side and the verso is not accessible. The right edge is deckled; there is some light undulation to the sheet. There are spots of foxing throughout the sheet, most notably in the lower center and lower left and the upper center of the composition. There is evidence of staining to the sheet at the lower left, lower right and upper left corners. There is a repair and in-painting to the sheet in an area approximately 2 1/2 in. square in the right side on the composition. There appears to be a repair to the sheet, no more than 1/2 in. in the upper left corner and another in the upper right. The colours of the pigment are intense and strong. The work is in fairly good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Widely regarded as one of the twentieth century’s finest watercolorists, Emile Nolde created an extraordinary body of compelling works that demonstrate his mastery of the medium. The artist spent the vast majority of his life in his beloved homeland near the German-Danish border, on the thin strip of land between the North and Baltic Seas. The remote, expansive landscapes of this region, its dramatically broody weather patterns and the abundant floral gardens he so lovingly cultivated were some of his most frequently depicted subjects. He chose watercolor for the intrinsic fluidity of the medium, ideal for his desire to convey a sense of nature’s dynamism. By allowing the imagery to emerge in a natural progression as his brush came in contact with the paper Nolde works in a manner in which color generates form, a true manifestation of Expressionist ideals. Through the strident colors and simplified forms bordering on abstract, Nolde successfully imbues his evocative compositions with a highly charged sense of emotional and spiritual resonance. The shifting depths of luminous color, with the golden yellows and deep reds that appeared so frequently in his work, provide a radiant quality to otherwise distinctly somber tones. 

The following three works exhibit Nolde's unmistakable finesse as it relates to color and form. Having been held in the same private collection for more than 30 years, these previously unseen watercolors speak to the artist's ability to continuously surprise and inspire.