Talks & Lectures | Emil Nolde, Colour is Life

Emil Nolde (1867-1956) was one of the most celebrated colourists of the twentieth century. Characterised by the opposing ideologies and forces in his life, these came to have a significant effect on his life and his vast body of work. Nolde was never happier than when he was cut off from the world in the country, yet he continued to return to the city, fascinated by its inhabitants; and equally so by the different cultures and people he encountered on his voyage to the South Seas in 1914. These tensions and contradictions resulted in the creation of ground-breaking and innovative works, with vibrant colour and bold form always at their heart. To open our 2018 exhibition Emil Nolde | Colour is Life at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, we welcomed Dr Sean Rainbard, director of the National Gallery of Ireland who introduced Nolde’s travels, politics and conflicts, through the art created out of them.