Style Imitating Art…
Welcome to Style Imitating Art which comes from Salazar, Shelbee, and me. You can think of this series as fashion meets art museum! SIA challenges people to find inspiration in different art works, create looks based upon that art work, and share them with the curator for that piece. Shelbee is this week’s curator with a colorful and eerie piece of art. I hope you enjoy this post, the information, and my interpretation.
How it works…
Every other Monday one of us selects an inspiration piece of art and posts the image on their blog. We then invite others to interpret that art work through their style. The following Monday, we share our outfits. The curator shares submissions the following Wednesday on her blog. I chose this week’s art work for this round of Style Imitating Art. If you’d like, you can read why she chose it here. Please send your photo to Shelbee by Tuesday, November 5, 2024 by 10 pm EST (shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com). Style Imitating Art is an interesting way to inspire your outfits. You can see a few of my looks here, here, here, and here.
About the artist…
Hans Emil Hansen was born on August 7, 1867 near the village of Nolde in Burkal, Southern Jutland, Denmark. Hans grew up on a farm but quickly realized farming wasn’t for him. After studying to become a woodcarver and illustrator, Hansen worked in furniture factories as a young adult. In 1889, he was admitted into the School of Applied Arts in Karlsruhe. From 1892 until 1898, Hansen was a drawing instructor at the school of the Museum of Industrial and Applied Arts in St. Gallen, Switzerland. At that point, he left his job to finally begin his life as an independent artist.
A little more…
After being rejected by the Munich Academy of Fine Arts in 1898, Hansen spent the next three years taking private painting lessons while visiting Paris as well as investigating the current Impressionist movement at the time. In 1902, he married Ada Vilstrup, a Danish actress. A move to Berlin introduced Hansen to collector Gustav Schiefler and artist Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. It was at this point, the artist became known as Emil Nolde, adopting the name of his birthplace.
Still more…
Nolde appeared to be a bit of a rebel in many ways. In 1906, Nolde was invited to join a revolutionary expressionist group, Die Brücke (The Bridge) in Dresden. That lasted about a year. Next, he was a member of the Berlin Secession from 1908 to 1910. He was then kicked out because of a disagreement with the leadership. While in Berlin, Nolde visited the Völkerkundemuseum. This museum now holds over “500,000 objects and is one of the largest and most important collections of works of art and culture from outside Europe in the world (source).” Nolde would be heavily influenced by the exhibits from the Global South and made over 120 drawings. In 1912, his work, Man, Woman, and Cat was a result of studying King Njova’s throne, “Mandu Yenu.” Controversy surrounded the throne as it was brought to Germany from Cameroon in a slightly altered state. Nolde exhibited with Wassily Kandinsky’s Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) in 1912. He was beginning to get famous and make money.
Expressionism…
It’s important to understand the importance of Expressionism in Nolde’s life. This art form is a modernist movement. In 1910, Czech art historian Antonin Matějček said, basically, Expressionism was the opposite of Impressionism. The term refers to an “artistic style in which the artist seeks to depict not objective reality but rather the subjective emotions and responses that objects and events arouse within a person.” Nolde became known for his color choices, primarily golden yellows and deep reds. His brushwork was another hallmark of his painting style. Later, his watercolors would contain “vivid, brooding storm-scapes and brilliant florals.”
“Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas. Expressionist artists have sought to express the meaning of emotional experience rather than physical reality (source).”
Even more…
Nolde’s art was included in the Degenerate art exhibition in 1937. This exhibition was organized by the Nazi Party as a means of showing what kind of art was unacceptable to…you guessed it…Adolf Hitler. Degenerate art was defined as works that “insult German feeling, or destroy or confuse natural form or simply reveal an absence of adequate manual and artistic skill.” Even though his art was included, Nolde was a racist, anti-Semite, and a staunch supporter of Nazi Germany. From the early 1920s, Nolde became a member of the Danish section of the National Socialist German Workers Party. He expressed his negative, anti-Semitic opinions about Jewish artists and considered Expressionism to be a distinctively Germanic style, a view shared by Joseph Goebbels.
Degenerate art…
Hitler’s rejection of all forms of modern art (AKA degenerate art) led to the Nazis officially condemning Nolde’s work. Even though his art had been popular and purchased by many, it was now a subject of disgust. The Nazi government removed a total of 1,052 of his works from museums. This was more than any other artist and were exhibited in the Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art) exhibition. Nolde even appealed to Gauleiter Baldur von Schirach in Vienna. After 1941, he was banned from painting, even in private. It was during this time, Nolde began to produce hundreds of watercolors. He hid these and called them, “Unpainted Pictures.” Nolde wrote in 1942:
“There is silver blue, sky blue and thunder blue. Every color holds within it a soul, which makes me happy or repels me, and which acts as a stimulus. To a person who has no art in him, colors are colors, tones tones…and that is all. All their consequences for the human spirit, which range between heave to hell, just go unnoticed.”
A bit more…
Following World War II, Nolde was honored with the Pour le Mérite which is an order of merit. Prior to 1842, this honor “was awarded strictly as a recognition of extraordinary personal achievement, rather than as a general marker of social status or a courtesy-honor, although certain restrictions of social class and military rank were applied. The order was secular, and membership endured for the remaining lifetime of the recipient, unless renounced or revoked (source).” In 1942, King Frederick William IV included sciences, humanities, and arts.
Finally…
Even as the world in general and the art world in specific recognized Nolde’s successes with color, Expressionism, and watercolors, more and more people began to talk about his commitment to Nazism as well as the relationship between his politics, anti-Semitism, and his degradation of non-Jewish adversaries as Jews to his art. This has led to closer examinations of the inclination of art historians (after WWII) to downplay those Nazi leanings and his anti-Semitism. It appears Nolde’s reputation may be under the proverbial microscope. Nolde died in Seebüll which is now part of Neukirchen on April 13, 1956. The Nolde Foundation at Seebüll was created that year. A museum dedicated to his life and work also opened in 1957. Ironically, some of his works were looted by the Nazis and are now being returned to their rightful owners.
About the art work…
“Mask Still Life III” was painted in 1911 and is oil on canvas. It measures 29 x 30.7 in (74 x 78 cm). It is on display at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, MO. Each mask, in different bold colors and striking brushwork, exhibits different emotional characteristics from “the sinister and sardonic to the grotesque and enigmatic (source).” Using that source, you can read much, much more about this art work.
My interpretation…
I know many of you are probably scratching your heads trying to figure out how this rather subdued blue and white outfit fits the art work. When Shelbee sent us this piece, I had no idea what I would do with it. Then, I found a dress with many of the bright colors contained in “Mask Still Life III.” When I started researching Nolde, however, I just couldn’t go forth with that idea. Instead, I decided to go with colors found in the Israeli flag, blue and white. I purchased this skirt a couple of summers ago from Talbots, but it didn’t fit. I kept it as a “goal piece.” I added an old merino cardigan from Garnet Hill in blue and off-white. As a nod to the art work, I threw on a very old orange-y knit top from Coldwater Creek. It has scalloped lace at the bottom of it. So, this is my defiant interpretation of our art work.
The Lewk!
Keeping with the blue and white theme, I selected this cuff with blue topaz stones as well as the silver one from Kendra Scott. The earrings and blue topaz cuff are from my days buying jewelry on eBay. The dark stones in the earrings are actually blue topaz rather than the darker stones they appear to be. The weather was warm the day we took photos so I went with sandals. I’m going to keep wearing sandals for as long as I can. These are very old Jambu sandals. I sure wish they’d come out with sandals similar to this. I literally wore my first pair of Jambu wedges out!
Wrap it up, Marsha!
This is probably the most political post I will ever write. I don’t, for one single second, understand all the nuances of the problems in the Middle East. But, I do understand what anti-Semitism is even though I’m a Christian. And, I just couldn’t do a cute little outfit based upon the work of someone who espoused those kinds of feelings. I actually had a hard time smiling through the photo shoot. So, can we talk? Do you have concerns with artists of any kind who are problematic? If so, how do you handle that? Do you think we should ignore artists’ actions in lieu of their products? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as quickly as I can.
Don’t forget…
If you want to be included in the Style Imitating Art round up, send Shelbee your photo by 10:00 pm EST Tuesday, November 5th. Photos of everyone participating will appear on her blog on Wednesday, November 6th! If you’re interested in join us, consider all of your options…the colors, the figures, the chaos. You could be a rebel along with me! Come on, give it a try! I think you’ll love it!
Thank you!
I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for reading, commenting, subscribing or emailing! It truly means so much to me! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.
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Where you can find me:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, Suzy Turner, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop (Esme’s Salon) and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
Interesting! I know very little about art. I think you did well with this challenge Marsha.
Thanks, Rosie! I am happy with my final outfit!
This one did seem like it was going to be a hard one to “style.” But you look lovey, as always!
Aww, thank you, Joanne! I did have something ready to go until I did my research. Then, I just had to switch gears. I do like this outfit and will wear it again.
I bought a new pair of JBU by Jambu sandals recently! I will wear them as long as possible, too. I’m still wearing my Birkenstocks right now.
I have a pair of Birkenstock wedges from last summer, and I didn’t wear them once this year. I think it’s because the leather needs to be broken in, and I just keep putting it off. My daughter loved her Birkenstocks when she was in high school. I’m hoping Jambu will do something like mine one of these years!
Thanks, Lisa!
I’m glad you researched Nolde. I think we should probably be able to judge art as the art itself, but it can be so hard block out the person behind the art – and sometimes it just makes you wonder how these things can seem to be so far apart and sometimes you are not able to separate it. That was the reason for my comment on your announcement of this post, but I didn’t want to influence you in any way.
We would like to believe that good art (although that is of course always subjective) is made by a good person, but that’s not necessarily the way it works.
If you are interested, read up a little on Max Liebermann, a Jewish painter and one of Nolde’s rivals.
https://liebermann-villa.de/en/museum/max-liebermann/
I saw a documentary about both of them once, sadly it’s only available in German, though.
Cat
https://catswire.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Cat! I had pulled together my outfit, but I just couldn’t do it once I started reading about Nolde. He stands for so much that is so antipathic to me. Thanks for letting me find out on my own. I did kinda wonder about your comment. I will already have the page on Max Liebermann open and ready to read. I took German in high school, but I’m afraid that was a few decades ago. I could probably get one or two words per sentence, if that! Thank you, again, Cat!
Yes, I usually hate vagueposting, but in this case I could either have said nothing at all which felt wrong to me or I could have said everything which wouldn’t have been right because I was sure you would do your own research.
Thank you for bearing with me there! 🙂
Thank you, Cat! I am glad you gave me that grace. It is one of the things I enjoy about SIA…the researching. I really appreciate all your comments!
I like your interpretation of the art work a lot! And the outfit is superb. Looks fantastic on you. Its a interesting art, beautiful and ugly at the same time.
Thank you, Nancy! I can’t make up my mind about the art…it’s definitely unique!
I love your defiant, interpretation. It goes to show that one should learn more about a piece or the artist that it can really change the way you think of the artwork itself.
Xoxo
Jodie
Thanks, Jodie! It’s so difficult to separate the art from the artist. But, I just felt I couldn’t do that with this particular piece of art.
I like your defiant outfit! The skirt and top are lovely, as is your jewelry! Thanks for visiting my blog!
Thanks, Sheila! I love reading your blog, but I’ve never felt cool enough to comment! I’m so glad you came over to my blog!
What an interesting piece of art. I love your look with its pop of color with the tank and the mix of patterns!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks, Kathrine! I really enjoyed the pattern mixing, too. I thought the tank added just the right spark.
I am SO glad I saw your post announcement this morning! I really liked your outfit from the get go, but felt a little uncomfortable wondering what it had to do with the inspiration artwork, I also had read the comments on the intro post and someone noted Nolde’s interesting past. I intended to check it out, but shiny pennied. Thank YOU for doing the work for me.
Your outfit selection was a brilliant rebellion. While reading the post and seeing your outfit, I started to think of “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.” So glad to have visited today; your outfit is perfection!
Per your question….Well more than a few years ago, there were a couple of artworks (displayed at the Met, if I remember correctly) that depicted sacred imagery and desecrated it with human waste as a medium. I found it deeply offensive regardless of the artist’s intent, and was disappointed that it was aggressively defended by a favorite comedian. I get that art is often designed to make people uncomfortable….but there’s a limit, and both the artists and the defenders met mine.
Again, thank you for an extremely thought provoking and principled post! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Wow, Em! I am really flattered by your words. I did wonder what was meant by that comment, but I always wait to do my research while I’m writing the post. Luckily, I’d done the research before finalizing the outfit. And, yes, I meant to say something about “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.” I kept thinking that was I was writing my post, but then it would flit right out of my head.
I think I remember reading about that exhibition. I do think it’s good to have personal limits on what you do and don’t like and act accordingly. Does that sentence even make sense? I’m hoping you get what I mean. Your comment reminds me of a drag queen that I kinda liked until she actually ate…well, I’m not going to say…but I just couldn’t watch her or movies made by that director any more. That was my limit. I think it’s OK to be uncomfortable with art, movies, books, etc., but there are limits to what is acceptable. But, here comes my Libra side…who sets those limits? I guess my answer would be we all do. If we don’t like something, we just walk on by it. And, now I’m shiny pennying…I love that term!
Thank you so much for your thought provoking comment, Em!
I scratched my head for a moment and then I thought, “Oh, I can’t wait to see how Marsha came around to this outfit!” Well played, my friend. Very well played! I love this subtle blue and white outfit on you and the pattern mix is just exquisite. I will admit that I did not research the artist at all before choosing this painting. However, I think I still would have chosen it. Because history is history, even the parts we don’t like, and we can always learn from history. I was happy to learn that scholars and art historians are now looking into the connections between Nolde’s art and his political beliefs. I find it all fascinating. After some internet issues plagued me over the weekend, I finally have published my post!
Shelbee
Thank you, Shelbee! I actually had another outfit in mind as I began to research. Then, when I came up against his strongly held beliefs, I just knew I couldn’t do that. But, I thought, “Well, this man and his thinking created this art. So, since this is an interpretation inspired by challenge, I’m inspired to protest his beliefs.” I do think history is so very important, even the worst parts. I always tried to stress to my students that the settlers weren’t always the good guys. I’m not sure I’d be able to teach the way I did then in today’s climate of revisionist history. I did think it very ironic some of his pieces were stolen by the Nazis and were having to be returned to the original owners. All in all, I thought the painting was fascinating…grotesque yet cool…especially when I read about Expressionism.
Thanks for the kind words about the outfit. I really did like the way it came together.
Well, that was a challenge! I do like your outfit. As to art, I do think understanding the artist’s life and beliefs are important to understand the art. itself. Historical context is definitely important too because art is very often also an interpretation of the times. This artist was a reflection of the times. Those times were appalling and so grievous. As a history teacher including art as example of the social and culture opinions and attitudes pertinent to the period is definitely part of what should be taught (older children, mostly HS). As an art lover, I do not like this painting and would probably pass his work by when strolling through an art museum. I do not support anything he stood for. Thank you for taking this tough one on!
Thank you, Linda! I agree that historical context is important when looking at any kind of art…graphic, music, literature. While I think it’s important to separate the art from the artist, this was a piece of art I couldn’t, in good conscience, interpret at literally as usual. I’m so glad you understood that as you read my post and the outfit. It really was a tough one from start to finish.
Marsha, you did a great job meeting the challenge and staying true to your beliefs. This is a lovely look on you. Thank you for sharing this information.
xo,
Kellyann
Thanks, Kellyann! I felt badly deviating from the art because that’s what’s supposed to inspire me. But, then I thought, “Well, this is what inspires me to wear this look.” I really appreciate your kind words.
What a journey the artist had in his life! Wow! It was interesting reading the history. I love your interpretation and I think this is a beautiful outfit!
Thanks, Laura! I’m glad you enjoyed the history behind the art.
Thank you for teaching me a little art history, Marsha. These stories are what makes each and every piece of art meaningful.
Thanks so much, Jane! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
The great thing about art is that it’s subjective, and I think this outfit is perfect for your interpretation. It also has to be one of my favorite outfits on you! I love the print mix!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Thanks so much, Jill! I was really happy with the combination of stripes and florals.
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