Emil Nolde - a biographical overview
Emil Nolde is born in a village near Tondern in 1867. Originally trained as a wood-carver, Nolde in 1894 draws a postcard-series, in which he portrays mountains with human features. The proceeds from the sale of the postcard-series enable Nolde to become a painter. Nolde marries the Danish actress Ada Vilstrup in 1902. He joins the artists' movement "Brücke" for 1906 and 1907. Nolde and his wife spend the summer months on the island of Alsen in the Baltic Sea and live in Berlin during the winter time. In 1913/14 the couple joins an expedition to the Souths Seas. They move to Seebüll in 1927, where Nolde designs both house and garden. The National Socialists proclaim Nolde a degenerate artist in 1937, the prohibition to paint follows in 1941. Nolde secretly continues to work on watercolours and completes 1,300 of these "unpainted pictures". After the war Nolde receives numerous awards. He dies in Seebüll in 1956. The deed of foundation of the Stiftung Seebüll Ada und Emil Nolde foms part of the artist's will.