Lot 277 D

The diversity of variations in Nolde's floral still lifes seems unlimited. It conveys to us the perpetual joy and constant wonder instilled in him by the variety of the flora around him. The work with red poppies and blue anemones offered here is among the late watercolours of flowers, according to Manfred Reuther, and it once again demonstrates Nolde's mature mastery of the subtle balance between control and letting go in the course of the painting process. Providing the colours with the opportunity of open spaces to unfold without simultaneously renouncing the objective connection to his subject matter is indubitably part of Emil Nolde's artistic legacy. This may be part of the secret of how his flowers seem to take on a life of their own and offer a vision of nature in which no two flowers are alike.