Analysis Of Masks By Emil Nolde

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Formal Analysis of Masks by Emil Nolde Masks by Emil Nolde is an oil painting which is currently displayed at The Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City Missouri. My first response to the still life painting was that of a very weird and bizarre, yet playful mood. The mischievous looking figures rendered with intense color, gave off a sense of horror without the dim dull color scheme typically portrayed in horror settings. At first glance, one could notice the eerie grin or grimace upon the countenance of each of the five individual figures. I believe Nolde rendered the painting in this manner to capture the viewers attention in a way that would provoke a sense of terror and jab at their emotions. There are five long oval shaped figures which one could assume were 'masks' from the implying title of the painting. The masks, which all differ in size and shape, are displayed asymmetrically throughout the composition. One could instantly notice the negative space which fills the bottom left corner of the painting. It also occupies the space around the masks, as well as the holes in the e...

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