Portraits make for a fascinating group of works in Emil Nolde's oeuvre. Surprisingly, these works hardly received the same attention as his flower still lifes and landscapes. This is particularly astonishing given that most of his portraits unfold an almost magical presence and a captivating expressiveness. A relatively small number of these works must be understood as portraits in a narrower sense, because Nolde is more concerned with visualizing the sitters’ character, feelings and moods than with the exact description of their appearance. A lively facial expression, a challenging look - he strives to express their individuality. Through Nolde's ability to characterize these qualities in an extremely differentiated way, he gives his depictions a liveliness that is unparalleled among the portraits of this period. [AM]