1911, Emil Nolde, Christ in the Underworld -- Stadel Museum (Frankfurt)
From the museum label: The picture is dominated by yellow and green. Nolde shows Christ closely surrounded by a Protestant priest, a monk, threatening devilish figures and a chosen few. Having recently been expelled from the Berlin Secession, the picture was painted in a crisis-heavy year. Just as Christ had resisted hostility, Nolde wanted to stand up to his opponents. The painting is one of the 'biblical and legend pictures' painted from 1909 onwards. In them, Nolde transferred themes from the Old and New Testaments into distinctly subjective compositions, simplified forms and a jarring colourfulnessIn this way, he made the transition from his Impressionist-influenced early work to the colour-intensive and expressive painting style that he is now highly appreciated for.
1911, Emil Nolde, Christ in the Underworld -- Stadel Museum (Frankfurt)
From the museum label: The picture is dominated by yellow and green. Nolde shows Christ closely surrounded by a Protestant priest, a monk, threatening devilish figures and a chosen few. Having recently been expelled from the Berlin Secession, the picture was painted in a crisis-heavy year. Just as Christ had resisted hostility, Nolde wanted to stand up to his opponents. The painting is one of the 'biblical and legend pictures' painted from 1909 onwards. In them, Nolde transferred themes from the Old and New Testaments into distinctly subjective compositions, simplified forms and a jarring colourfulnessIn this way, he made the transition from his Impressionist-influenced early work to the colour-intensive and expressive painting style that he is now highly appreciated for.