Excited People 

Emil Nolde’s painting, "Excited People," presents a raw, emotional tableau rendered with bold colors and distorted figures. Nolde, a key figure in German Expressionism, lived through a period of intense social and political change, including both World Wars, which deeply influenced his art. The painting is a complex intersection of identity and emotion. The figures, with their exaggerated features and vibrant, almost unnatural skin tones, seem to embody a sense of unease. There is a tension between the implied collective experience and the individual expressions of anxiety. Nolde's choice of color and form suggests a deeper exploration into the psychological states of his subjects. As Nolde himself stated, "Often, the colour reveals and deepens expression." The work exists in dialogue with the historical and cultural anxieties of the time. Nolde confronts us with a reflection of ourselves, inviting us to consider the ways in which societal pressures manifest in our own emotional and psychological landscapes.