Emil Nolde (1867-1956), 'Exotic Figures II', 1911 © Nolde Stiftung Seebüll.
Emil Nolde (1867-1956), 'Exotic Figures II', 1911 © Nolde Stiftung Seebüll.Credit

Press release 26/4/2018

The National Gallery of Ireland’s 
NOLDE: In the Community programme 

The National Gallery of Ireland is partnering with regional art centres in Ireland, to bring visuals of our newest exhibition Emil Nolde: Colour is Life beyond the Gallery walls and out into the community. NOLDE: In the Community sees selected art centres throughout Ireland participate in a series of free illustrated talks on Emil Nolde's (1867-1956) life and work. 

Talks will introduce audiences to both the man and his art: his techniques, his motivations and the historical context of his work. A member of the National Gallery of Ireland’s education team will provide an introduction to those planning to visit the exhibition in Dublin, while those who cannot visit the exhibition will have the opportunity to see and hear about the unique and expressive visual works of the German Expressionist artist. 

Aimed at a general adult audience with broad interests in art and history, the talks are free of charge and will last approximately 60 minutes, including time for questions and informal discussion. Full details available on the Gallery's website.

NOLDE: In the Community participating venues include: Mermaid Arts Centre, Wicklow; The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon; An Táin, Dundalk; Galway City Museum; glór, Ennis; Crawford Art Gallery, Cork; Linenhall Arts Centre, Mayo; Riverbank Arts Centre, Kildare; Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise.

According to Brina Casey, Community, Outreach & Health, National Gallery of Ireland:

'Our Community Outreach programme aims to make arts and culture accessible to everyone and we’re always looking for ways to collaborate with fellow arts organisations around Ireland. Bringing these talks to venues nationwide has been a really exciting project for the National Gallery of Ireland, and we are delighted that, through this, everyone has the opportunity to enjoy learning about the work of Emil Nolde.'

About the exhibition

Emil Nolde: Colour is Lifea major exhibition of work by the pioneering artist, is on show at the National Gallery of Ireland until 10 June 2018. The exhibition is a collaboration between the National Gallery of Ireland, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the Emil Nolde Foundation in Seebüll. A highly distinctive artist, Nolde was a master of colour and many print techniques. The exhibition includes over 120 paintings, drawings, watercolours and prints, specially selected from the Emil Nolde Foundation, the artist’s former home in north Germany. It spans Nolde’s career from the early atmospheric paintings of his homeland and intensely coloured oils, to his ‘unpainted pictures’ – artworks created on small pieces of paper during the Third Reich, when Nolde was branded a ‘degenerate’ artist and forbidden to work as a professional painter. The artworks on show in the Gallery include Nolde’s famous flower and garden paintings, and his extraordinary religious works, with their mix of spirituality and eroticism. 

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue edited by Keith Hartley, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, with essays by Dr Astrid Becker, Frances Blythe, Keith Hartley, Sean Rainbird, and Dr Christian Weikop. Priced €24.95pb, the publication is available in the Gallery Shop. Additionally, a programme of public events has been organised to complement the exhibition.

Venues and dates

National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin \ 14 February-10 June 2018 
Tickets €15/€10 with concessions from €5
Free admission for Friends of the National Gallery of Ireland and children under 16

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh \ 14 July-21 October 2018

Notes to editors

  1. Selected images are available from the Gallery’s Press Office. Contact [email protected]  
  2. Emil Nolde: Colour is Life is a collaboration between the Emil Nolde Foundation, Seebüll; the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin; and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. The Dublin exhibition is curated by Sean Rainbird and Janet McLean (National Gallery of Ireland); the Scottish exhibition is curated by Keith Hartley, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.
  3. Brina Casey, Janet McLean and Sean Rainbird are available for comment. Contact [email protected]