Emil Nolde was fascinated by both the flowers in his garden as well as by exotic blossoms. The entwined leafage alone suggests the exotic beauty of this single blossom, which he captured more as an impression than as an actual orchid. What is particularly remarkably are the subtle colors the artist uses to describe this flower, quite unlike his depictions of domestic plants. The composition is conceived as a floral ornament that encloses the exotic leafage.