Goldsmiths

1919
(German, 1876–1956)
Framed: 90.2 x 72.4 x 5.1 cm (35 1/2 x 28 1/2 x 2 in.); Unframed: 69 x 51 cm (27 3/16 x 20 1/16 in.)
This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Download, Print and Share

Did You Know?

Emile Node once stated: "Every color holds within it a soul, which makes me happy or repels me, and which acts as a stimulus."

Description

A leading artist of the German Expressionist group Die Brücke (The Bridge), Nolde criticized French modernism as overly intellectual and tepid. Seeking a new art of radically simplified form and emotive color, he found inspiration in Oceanic sculpture and the medieval paintings of Matthias Grünewald. Deeply religious, Nolde depicted biblical subjects with a deliberately crude, ferocious vigor intended to elevate spirituality over descriptive form. This painting may allude to two goldsmiths divinely selected to make religious objects, and whose work so pleased God that Moses blessed them (Exodus 35:30-43). Such images are not literal illustrations, Nolde explained, but visions that sprang from his own imagination, driven by the spontaneous release of emotion. "In art" he wrote, "I fight for unconscious creation. Labor destroys paintings."
Goldsmiths

Goldsmiths

1919

Emil Nolde

(German, 1876–1956)
Germany, 20th century

Visually Similar Artworks

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.