Gentleman in a Top Hat (Dr Gustav Schiefler) 1911

Emil Nolde made this portrait of Dr. Gustav Schiefler using brush and ink on paper. The starkness of the materials amplifies the image's emotional intensity. We see bold, sweeping brushstrokes which define the figure's form. The ink, applied with varying pressure, creates a dramatic contrast between light and shadow. The choice of materials and technique underscores the directness of expression characteristic of the Expressionist movement, which is rooted in emotional intensity and the raw expression of inner experience. Nolde’s method allows for immediacy, capturing a sense of the sitter’s presence. The limited tonal range focuses attention on the composition and the interplay of positive and negative space. The physical act of applying ink to paper, with its inherent fluidity and potential for both control and accident, informs the final image, and the social status of the sitter is conveyed through clothing. This work invites us to consider the expressive potential inherent in the simplest of materials, and how it is tied to wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption.