Cows in the Lowland is characteristic of Emil Nolde’s early technique, with its paint applied in a thick impasto that imparts a texture as expressive and alive as its exaggerated colors. During the summer of 1909, Nolde would turn away from this impressionistic style in favor of more spiritual, religious imagery. Nolde was a member of the artist’s group Die Brücke (The Bridge) from 1906–07 and joined the Berlin Secession from 1908–10, but otherwise remained independent of artist- led organizations. Although Nolde’s art was labeled “degenerate” during the Nazi period, recent research has documented that Nolde himself enthusiastically embraced the Party’s racist ideas about Aryan superiority. After the war, however, he downplayed his interest in Nazi ideology and emphasized his role as victim and persecuted artist.

Wall label, 2021.