Paintings and Prints Specialist Abigail Molenaar is delighted to announce a watercolour by German artist Emil Nolde going under the hammer later this month.
10/03/2025
Emil Nolde (1867-1956) was an important figure in German Art History, an Expressionist painter renowned for his intense and masterful use of colour. He drew inspiration in the landscapes, flora and folklore of his surroundings and his home in the rural border between Germany and Denmark. He initially trained as a woodcarver but turned to painting in his thirties becoming associated with Die Brüke and Der Blaue Reiter, but he preferred to work as an individual, unencumbered by the influence of others.
The artist was supportive of the NSDAP party but the Nazi regime opposed Emil Nolde and banned him from painting. His work was labelled ‘degenerate art’ and 1,025 of his paintings were seized and confiscated by the Nazis. Some of these pieces were included in the infamous ‘Degenerate Art’ exhibition organised by Adolf Ziegler and the Nazis in Munich in 1937. Degenerate Art was defined as works that ‘insult Germany feeling or destroy or confuse natural form’, exhibiting 650 works by 112 artists including; Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, Jean Metzinger, Piet Mondrian, Marc Chagall and Wassily Kandinsky. The exhibition attracted huge crowds, over two million visitors attended during its run, averaging 20,000 people per day.
Despite being prohibited from working until the fall of the Third Reich, Nolde continued to paint in secret, producing some of his most striking watercolours during this period, asserting his creative freedom.
Halls Fine Art are delighted to bring to the market a stunning floral watercolour by Emil Nolde titled ‘Red Blooming Cacti’, which exemplifies Nolde’s ability to produce botanic studies which capture the vibrancy and energy of nature. The painting has been with the vendor’s family since the 1940s when it was sourced from Jewish art dealer Herman Burg and has undergone a 12-month authentication process with the Nolde Foundation in Seebüll, Germany. It is set to be included in the artist’s forthcoming catalogue raisonné which will be published by the foundation. The painting will be offered in the Modern and Contemporary Art auction on the 19th March with an estimate of £25,000–£35,000. This extraordinary painting will be joined by an exciting selection of works, including pieces by Robert Lenkiewicz, Damien Hirst, Terry Frost, Anna Zinkeisen and Agathon Léonard.
For more information about bidding on this lot or to request a full condition report, please contact us at 01743 450 700 or email fineart@hallsgb.com.
+44 (0)1743 450 700
fineart@hallsgb.com
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