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Lot Essay
Professor Dr Manfred Reuther from the Nolde Stiftung, Seebüll, has confirmed the authenticity of this work.
Phantasie, zwei Köpfe im Profil (Mann und Frau) belongs to Emil Noldes Phantasien, a cycle of watercolours which he executed between 1931 and 1935. In this picture, two heads are depicted in profile against a backdrop that features a gold and blue sky flecked with cloud, all above a dark horizon, recalling his celebrated seascapes. However, the focus is clearly on these two figures, the man looking purposefully into the distance and the woman appearing to bask in the warmth of the sun. The relationship between man and woman is a central theme in the Phantasien, as is emphasised here by the intense emotional union in these heads, both facing in the same direction, as though of one purpose or thought.
Letting the brush freely merge and expand the colours on the paper, in the Phantasien Nolde let chance guide his imagination. Images and figures would emerge from the iridescent surface of the watercolours, evoking a world dominated by bizarre creatures, mysterious figures and stories from the German Folklore. The great colouristic effects of the present work illustrate Noldes of the medium, whose great potential for unexpected effects he deeply understood. In their technique and visionary power moreover, works such as Phantasie, zwei Köpfe im Profil (Mann und Frau) foresee Noldes celebrated group of over 1,300 watercolours known as the Unpainted Pictures, which he executed in secret when the Nazi dictatorship prohibited him from painting in 1941.
Phantasie, zwei Köpfe im Profil (Mann und Frau) belongs to Emil Noldes Phantasien, a cycle of watercolours which he executed between 1931 and 1935. In this picture, two heads are depicted in profile against a backdrop that features a gold and blue sky flecked with cloud, all above a dark horizon, recalling his celebrated seascapes. However, the focus is clearly on these two figures, the man looking purposefully into the distance and the woman appearing to bask in the warmth of the sun. The relationship between man and woman is a central theme in the Phantasien, as is emphasised here by the intense emotional union in these heads, both facing in the same direction, as though of one purpose or thought.
Letting the brush freely merge and expand the colours on the paper, in the Phantasien Nolde let chance guide his imagination. Images and figures would emerge from the iridescent surface of the watercolours, evoking a world dominated by bizarre creatures, mysterious figures and stories from the German Folklore. The great colouristic effects of the present work illustrate Noldes of the medium, whose great potential for unexpected effects he deeply understood. In their technique and visionary power moreover, works such as Phantasie, zwei Köpfe im Profil (Mann und Frau) foresee Noldes celebrated group of over 1,300 watercolours known as the Unpainted Pictures, which he executed in secret when the Nazi dictatorship prohibited him from painting in 1941.