The exhibition spanned from the triptych “Harmony of Contrasts”, a highlight of Nolde’s late work and his only secular triptych, to the religious triptych “Martyrdom”, described by Ada Nolde as “full of horror and glow, full of mature experience, full of fire and frenzy”. Among the rarely or never previously exhibited works were objects from Nolde’s private collection, which he used to create atmospheric still-life compositions.

While the careful restoration of the Seebüll house and studio was completed in summer 2022, the exhibition was held for the final time in the rooms of the visitor centre.

Thematically, the exhibition focused on Nolde’s ability to capture moments of stillness across his subjects. Whether calm seas, vast plains at sunset or figures absorbed in contemplation, the works conveyed moments of tranquillity, concentration and balance. Seas and landscapes appeared peaceful and undisturbed, while colour and composition emphasised the unique harmony of his work. Portraits, too, reflected this stillness, with figures appearing introspective and unobserved.

Among the works shown in Seebüll for the first time were significant long-term loans, including the floral painting “Sunflowers” (1926) from the Norddeutscher Rundfunk, as well as works from the estate of the collectors Dr Karl-Heinz and Renate Kürten. This also included “Viking (half figure)”, the left half of a painting cut apart by Nolde in 1912. Together with the right half from the Seebüll collection, the two parts were reunited after more than 65 years.

Thanks to the generous support of lenders, these important works could be made accessible to a wide audience. The exhibition highlighted a previously less recognised aspect of Nolde’s work: its calmness, balance and intensity of colour, revealing the expressive painter also as a master of subtle harmony.