170 - NOLDE, EMIL

NOLDE, EMIL 1867 Nolde–1956 Seebüll Title: White Amaryllis and Chinese Figurine. Date: ca. 1930. Technique: Watercolor on Japanese paper. Dimensions: 36.5 x 27.5 cm. Notation: Signed lower right: Nolde. On the reverse, lower left: the Nolde Foundation’s collection stamp and the registration number: i 19. Frame: Framed. A copy of a certificate for this work, issued by Dr. Martin Urban, Seebüll, dated April 3, 1974, is available. The work is registered with the Nolde Foundation in Seebüll under the number Fr.A.471 and will be included in the catalogue raisonné of watercolors and drawings currently being compiled. The ceramic figure depicted in the watercolor is a figure of a musician from Emil Nolde’s collection of figurines. Provenance: - Artist’s estate (until 1973) - Fischer Fine Art Ltd., London (1973) - Galerie Kornfeld, Bern, 185th Auction, June 20–22, 1984, lot 715 - Galerie Wolfgang Wittrock, Düsseldorf (1987) - Villa Grisebach, Berlin, 9th Auction, June 2, 1989, lot 102 - Private collection, Berlin (acquired from the previous owner in 1989) - Villa Grisebach, Berlin, 355th Auction, December 1, 2023, lot 350 - Private collection, Berlin - A figure of a musician—drawn from Nolde’s own collection of figures—framed by delicate lilies - The highly magnified composition transcends the traditional still life, imbuing the work with a vivid, living presence - From the artist’s significant series of flower watercolors In perhaps no other medium does Emil Nolde’s distinctive approach to color unfold as directly as it does in his works on paper. Through watercolor, the artist discovers an extraordinary freedom of painterly expression: pigments flow into one another, contours dissolve, and color takes on a life of its own—becoming almost autonomous. His flower watercolors, in particular, exemplify this visual language, in which the direct observation of nature transforms into a subjective world of color, shaped by personal feeling and imagination. Beyond nature, human figures and objects from his own personal environment served as vital sources of inspiration for his creative output. This watercolor brings these various thematic realms together in a composition that is as charming as it is unique. Set against an intensely blue background, two white-and-pink blossoms unfold, their delicate color gradations accented by bright yellow stamens. Below the blossoms appears a small female figure, rendered in warm shades of brown and red. It is a depiction of a ceramic musician—a piece from Nolde’s own collection of figurines. This direct link to his personal collection lends the work a special dimension, while also illustrating how Nolde incorporated inspiration from his immediate surroundings into his painting. Particularly noteworthy is the finely balanced interplay between the various colors and forms. While the blossoms—with their transparent, fluid transitions—virtually merge into the surrounding blue, the ceramic figure asserts a distinct presence through its earthy palette and more compact form. The intense blue serves as the unifying chromatic foundation. Thus, the juxtaposition of nature and a man-made object creates a harmonious pictorial order, the unique appeal of which lies in the sensory immediacy of the color and the artist’s personal choice of subject matter. Estimated shipping costs for this lot: This lot is not suitable for parcel shipping. Transportation is available only through a shipping company, subject to consultation following the auction. Additional shipping insurance Shipping insurance Up to a total invoice amount of 25,000 euros: max. 41.65 euros Over a total invoice amount of 25,000 euros: 1.8 per thousand Shipping to the USA by individual arrangement after the auction. #Emil Nolde #Expressionism #Die Brücke #Germany #Modern Art #1930s #Modern Art. In accordance with §26 UrhG (German Copyright Act), VAN HAM is obligated to pay a statutory resale royalty on the sale proceeds of all original works of fine art and photography whose authors have not been deceased for 70 years prior to the end of the calendar year of the sale. The buyer shall contribute 1.5% of the hammer price toward this fee.