EMIL NOLDE

(Nolde 1867–1956 Seebüll)
Orangenbäumchen (Small orange tree). Circa 1930–35.
Watercolour on Japan paper.
Signed lower left: Nolde.
36.3 × 45.7 cm.

The authenticity of the work has been confirmed by Dr. Manfred Reuther, Seebüll, 1.7.2007 (copy of certificate available).
The work is documented in the archive of the Nolde Stiftung Seebüll.

Provenance:
- Galerie Günther Franke, Munich 1936.
- Galerie Arno Kohnen, Krefeld.
- Private collection Liechtenstein, acquired from the above gallery in 2009.

Plants are among Emil Nolde's preferred subjects for still lifes. Next to his house, built in 1927 on a secluded rise in Seebüll, Nolde arranged an impressive flower garden. Cane screens, hedges and shrubs offered protection from strong winds.
Orange is a very important colour for Nolde, which is often dominant in his works. However, the present watercolour "Small orangre tree" is a rarity, since Nolde rarely depicts oranges. But as exotic fruits they also refer to an important theme in Nolde's work.