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Pierre Soulages was a French painter, printmaker, and sculptor. In 2014, François Hollande described him as "the world's greatest living artist."
Soulages is known as "the painter of black," owing to his interest in the colour "both as a colour and a non-colour. When light is reflected on black, it transforms and transmutes it. It opens a mental field all its own." He saw light as a work material; striations of the black surface of his paintings enable him to reflect light, allowing the black to come out of darkness and into brightness, thus becoming a luminous colour.
Lotte Laserstein was a German-Swedish artist and a prominent representative of German realism.
Lotte was a student at the prestigious Berlin Academy of Fine Arts and became an accomplished realist painter, receiving a gold medal from the Academy for her work. Her first exhibition took place in 1930 at a Berlin gallery. Laserstein worked partly in figurative painting, had apprentices, and illustrated anatomy texts to earn money. She also painted portraits of cosmopolitan, emancipated women as well as self-portraits.
The National Socialist regime forced the artist to leave Germany in 1937 and emigrate to Sweden. Her mother died in a concentration camp. Lotte Laserstein lived in Stockholm until the end of her life, creating over five decades of work, in addition to expressive self-portraits, many moving images of other immigrants, rural landscapes and urban scenes in Sweden.
Lotte Laserstein became a member of the Swedish Academy of Fine Arts and earned a reputation as a popular and respected portraitist. She has approximately 10,000 works in her oeuvre.
Emil Nolde, a German-Danish artist, stands out as a pivotal figure in the Expressionist movement, celebrated for his vibrant use of color and dynamic brushwork. Born on August 7, 1867, Nolde was initially self-taught, developing a style that later became synonymous with expressive use of color and form. His early work included religious themes and landscapes, characterized by their emotional intensity and innovative color palette. Nolde's contributions to art were not limited to painting; he also excelled in printmaking, creating a significant body of work that includes etchings, woodcuts, and lithographs.
One of Nolde's most noteworthy periods was his time spent on the Baltic Sea island of Alsen from 1903 to 1916, where he produced seascapes that captured the natural world's dynamic essence. His painting "Meer Bei Alsen" (Sea Off Alsen) is a testament to this period, showcasing his ability to convey movement and emotion through color. Furthermore, Nolde's fascination with religious and mythological themes is evident in works like "Dance Around the Golden Calf," where he employs vivid colors and expressive figures to explore complex narratives.
Despite his artistic achievements, Nolde's life was not without controversy. During the Nazi regime, his work was labeled "degenerate," and he faced significant professional and personal challenges. Nonetheless, Nolde continued to create, producing a series of watercolors known as the "Unpainted Pictures" during this time. After World War II, Nolde's reputation was rehabilitated, and he was once again celebrated as a leading figure in modern art.
Nolde's legacy is preserved at the Nolde Foundation Seebüll, a museum dedicated to his life and work, established in the year of his death, 1956. His influence on the field of modern art, particularly within Expressionism, is undeniable, with his bold approach to color and form inspiring subsequent generations of artists.
For art collectors and experts, Nolde's work offers a compelling study in the evolution of modern art, reflecting the tumultuous times he lived through and his unyielding dedication to artistic expression. His ability to capture the essence of his subjects, from the natural beauty of the sea to the depths of human emotion, makes his work a valuable addition to any collection.
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