Hamburg

„I usually prime with chalk …”
Emil Nolde’s Painting Technique

Studio exhibition at the Hamburger Kunsthalle
16 October 2021 – 18 April 2022

Hamburg was a place of pivotal significance to Emil Nolde. Not only did he find inspiration for numerous paintings in the Hanseatic city, but his importance as an artist was also recognised here at an early stage: his works were exhibited, collected by private individuals and found their way into museums.

The most important findings from recent art technological research on 11 paintings by Emil Nolde in the holdings of the Hamburger Kunsthalle were presented as part of a studio exhibition. How did Nolde execute his pictures? What materials did he use; how did he exploit their properties? How did he handle the brush; did he use other tools? The exhibition showed how materials and the work process were consciously used by Nolde as a means of artistic expression and are, therefore, significant in our understanding of his works.

The free Hamburger Kunsthalle app (German/English) provides visitors with in-depth information and insights into the painting techniques of some of the paintings, supplemented by X-ray, infrared and microscope images, beyond the duration of the exhibition.

The studio exhibition was integrated into the Classical Modernism collection tour. This enabled visitors to widen their perspective and view works with a better understanding as they continued their tour.

Regular guided tours were offered by the conservators, an art historian and the Education & Outreach Department.

Curators:
Silvia Castro, Head of Restoration
Heike Schreiber, Senior Conservator, Modern Art
Accompanied by: Dr. Karin Schick, Head of Collection Modern Art

Funded by:
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Freunde der Kunsthalle e. V.

»I USUALLY PRIME WITH CHALK…« | Hamburger Kunsthalle (hamburger-kunsthalle.de)