Gustav Schiefler 1915

Emil Nolde painted "Gustav Schiefler" with oil on canvas, and what strikes me is how he dove right into it, almost like he’s wrestling with the paint. Look at the way he's handled that top hat – it's all thick, clotted strokes, not trying to be neat or precise. The color is dark and moody, yet there’s this crazy bright yellow peeking out from the figure’s neck, like a hidden sun. It’s like Nolde is saying, "Here's a portrait, but it’s also a battlefield of color and texture." That mustache, what’s going on there? It’s so green, like something alive and slightly unsettling. It’s these little moments, these weird, gestural choices, that make Nolde so compelling, and that remind me of painters like Soutine, who weren't afraid to let the paint have its own say. It’s not just about what you see, but how you feel it in your gut.