Emil Nolde: Dogs

The great love story between the painter Emile Nolde (1867–1956) and his wife Ada began with a dog in Copenhagen, when Ada met the poor painter taking a walk. The farmer’s son and the pastor’s daughter married in 1902, and the first mutual dog came into the house in 1904—brought in so that Ada would have some company, while the painter locked himself away in his studio.

The many dogs that lived with the couple also featured in Nolde’s work, appearing in loving portraits, vividly-colored oil paintings, endearing watercolors and striking pen-and-ink drawings. Emil Nolde: Dogs explores the importance of this theme in the painter’s work in a charming gift-book format, featuring paintings, writings by the artist about animals and photographs documenting the Noldes’ idyllic rural life in Germany and Denmark.