Emil Nolde

de Christian Ring, Hans-Joachim Throl

"After the Second World War ended in 1945 the Expressionist Emil Nolde (1867-1956) came to symbolise the epitome of the modern German artist persecuted by the National Socialist regime. More works were confiscated from Nolde during the 'Degenerate Art' campaign than from any other artist, and no other artist's works were as prominently pilloried as Nolde's in the initial Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art) shows that began travelling the country in 1937. In 1941 he was forbidden to practise as an artist. How do Nolde's ostracism and the professional ban fit together with our knowledge that he had been a Party member since 1934 and that he remained loyal to the National Socialist regime until the end of the war? This publication explains Nolde's lasting commitment to National Socialism. It underscores the importance of his work to his autobiography, exposes the consequences of his increasingly radical anti-Semitism, and presents a new perception of the professional ban and the creation of the 'Unpainted Pictures'. Previously unpublished letters and documents, as well as many lesser-known works from the artist's estate at the Stiftung Seebüll Ada and Emil Nolde, provide insight into Nolde's behaviour and artistic practice during the National Socialist era." This trenchant reconsideration of artist Emil Nolde's life and work deconstructs the myths that have surrounded Nolde's legacy until today. Emil Nolde created some of the most powerful works of the Expressionist movement. Despite the fact that his art was represented more prominently than anyone else's in the infamous exhibition Degenerate Art, he continued to be an ardent sympathizer of the Nazi regime and an admirer of Adolf Hitler. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to Nolde's ambiguous position during the Third Reich. In addition, the book takes a fresh look at Nolde's artistic production during the Nazi period, featuring numerous works which have not yet been published or publicly displayed. Eight illustrated essays draw on a wealth of unpublished letters and documents from the artist's estate that offer new insights into Nolde's artistic practices, his political beliefs, and his anti-Semitism, deconstructing the myths that have surrounded Nolde's legacy until today.