Emil Nolde
Prophet

Prophet

© Nolde Stiftung Seebüll

Prophet
Prophet
ArtistGerman, 1867–1956
CultureGerman
Titles
  • Prophet
Date1912
PlaceGermany
MediumWoodcut on wove paper, edition of about 50
DimensionsBlock: 12 1/2 × 8 13/16 in. (31.8 × 22.4 cm)
Sheet: 14 15/16 × 12 in. (37.9 × 30.5 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Alvin S. Romansky Prints and Drawings Accessions Endowment Fund
Object number93.324
Non exposé

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Object Type
Description

During his brief association with the German Expressionist group Die Brücke in 1906, Emil Nolde learned the technique of woodcut prints. Nolde had worked in a furniture factory before becoming an artist, so the technique of woodcutting suited his abilities.


In Prophet, his most famous print, Nolde exploits the characteristics inherent to the medium. Coarsely gouged-out areas, jagged lines, and the textured grain of the wood effectively combine in this portrayal of a fervent believer. The brooding face confronts the viewer with an immediacy and deep emotion that leave no doubt about the prophet’s spirituality. Three years before Nolde executed Prophet, while recovering from an illness, he experienced a religious transformation. Afterward, he began depicting religious subjects in paintings and prints. Art historians have suggested that the hollow eyes, furrowed brow, and sunken cheeks of this figure represent a self-portrait. Regardless, the figure’s messianic countenance is considered one of the quintessential prints of German Expressionism.


Provenance Research Ongoing Exhibition History"Going with the Grain: Woodcuts from Houston Collections," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, January 31–April 19, 2009.

"The Rise of Modernism: Europe and America," The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Aug. 20, 2021 - Jan. 2, 2022. [Second Installation/Light-Sensitive Rotation: Kinder Building 207: No Catalog]
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Recto: Inscribed in graphite, left bottom edge: Sch. 110
Recto: Inscribed in graphite, center bottom edge: Prophet. F18387
Recto: Signed in graphite, below image, lower right: Emil Nolde.
[None]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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