Emil Nolde (1867-1956)
Lot 1141 PROPERTY OF AN IMPORTANT NEW YORK ESTATE

Emil Nolde (1867-1956)

Frauenbildnis im Gegenlicht (gelb und gruën)

Closed15 May 2015

Price Realised

USD 118,750

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Emil Nolde (1867-1956)
Frauenbildnis im Gegenlicht (gelb und gruën)
signed 'Nolde.' (lower right)
watercolor on Japan paper
18 5/8 x 13 7/8 in. (47.3 x 35.1 cm.)
Painted in Sylt in fall 1930

Estate of the artist.
Kleemann Galleries, Inc., New York.
Acquired from the above by the family of the late owner, November 1957.

Specialist note

Dr. Manfred Reuther from the Nolde Stiftung, Seebüll, has confirmed the authenticity of this work.

“When painting he is lavish with his watercolors. He is little troubled if splotches fall from his brush…I have often marveled at how reckless he is with wet brushes, even though he could fear that at any moment one of the threatening drips might fall…He takes that danger in his stride, and accordingly is free to work in a rush, with no inhibitions,” Nolde’s second wife Jolanthe marveled at her husband’s working methods (quoted in S. Koja, Emil Nolde, In Radiance and Color, exh. cat., Belvedere, Vienna, 2013, p. 223). Frauenkopf im Gegenlicht is an impressive example of Nolde’s mastery of the medium. The brilliant palette of vibrant red, blue and yellow is reminiscent of the Fauves' expressive use of color which greatly influenced Nolde.