Museum Würth 2 presenting large solo exhibition on Emil Nolde
From 7 April, Museum Würth 2 in Künzelsau, in cooperation with Nolde Stiftung Seebüll, will dedicate the monographic exhibition “Emil Nolde – World and Home” to the German Expressionist, on the occasion of the 90th birthday of the collector and entrepreneur Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth. In 1972, Reinhold Würth acquired Emil Nolde’s 1935 watercolor painting “Wolkenspiegelung in der Marsch” (Cloud Reflection in the Marsh) as one of the first works for the Würth Collection.
The exhibition, planned by Nolde Stiftung Seebüll and supplemented extensively for the presentation in Künzelsau, is dedicated not only to the different creative phases and diverse subjects of this expressionist master of color, but also traces the artist’s life, free from myths and legends. The starting point of the exhibition is the tension between world and homeland that can be felt in Nolde’s works. The exhibition presents a total of 146 paintings, watercolors, prints and folkloristic objects and exotica, which, thanks to Nolde Stiftung Seebüll, enter into a dialogue with the 18 Nolde works from the Würth Collection.
Depictions of landscapes with a low horizon, clouds dramatically piling up as if they were mountains, the turbulent sea, and vivid flower paintings such as “Großer Mohn (rot, rot, rot)” (Large Poppy (red, red, red)) from 1942 are expression of the artist’s deep understanding of his homeland. Emil Nolde, born Emil Hansen in 1867 in the village of Nolde, whose name he later adopted, grew up as a farmer’s son in the German-Danish border region. His works, which often verge on the non-representational, touch on the timeless need for emotion and unaltered nature beyond the modern metropolis of his time. Thus, as the artist himself put it, “a vague idea only in glow and color” was enough to trigger the stream of imagination. With his self-image as a Nordic artist shaped by the landscape, people and legendary figures he grew up with, he soon showed an unadulterated, strong will to represent a distinct German artistic style in his works.
Firmly rooted in the north, he was drawn out into the world early on: He not only traveled through Europe. In 1913/14, a scientific expedition, which he accompanied as an unofficial participant, took him through Moscow, Siberia, Korea, Japan and China to the German colony of German New Guinea. These new impressions and the search for the original greatly influenced his artistic development, resulting in fascinating changes of perspective. From his travels, the artist brought back folkloristic objects and exotica, which over time grew into a wondrous collection of study objects and continued to resonate in his still lifes and figure paintings for a long time, as can be seen from the painting “Stilleben E (Hirschgruppe, Kissen, Tamburan)” (Still Life E (Group of Deer, Cushion, Tamburan)) from 1914. Nolde used them to create astonishingly cosmopolitan and yet unmistakable pictorial worlds, which, contrary to his disturbing political conviction, easily overcome artistic conventions and cultural boundaries.
In the exhibition catalog, entrepreneur and collector Reinhold Würth recalls a joint visit to a Ticino gallery with his friend, photographer Paul Swiridoff, in 1972: “There, I saw the watercolor painting by Emil Nolde, which caught my eye immediately. The strong, vibrant shades of red, orange and blue completely captivated me, as I remembered having seen exactly these bright colors during my visits to the far north of Germany and Denmark. My decision to buy the painting was quickly made.”
With the acquisition of “Wolkenspiegelung in der Marsch”, Reinhold Würth laid the foundation for an art collection that today comprises over 20,000 works.
Exhibition “An active life” in the Museum’s Atrium marking two anniversaries
On the occasion of Reinhold Würth’s 90th birthday and the Würth Group’s corporate anniversary, Museum Würth 2 will present the exhibition “An active life. 90 years Reinhold Würth. 80 years Würth Group.”, an inspiring journey through time from 7 April.
It highlights historical and current aspects and shows the close relationship between the entrepreneur and his company. After all, the impressive development from a two-man business to world market leader in assembly and fastening systems is Reinhold Würth’s life’s work. Various stations presenting videos, photographs and objects from eight decades show highlights and various facets of this journey. They provide interactive insights, for example into sales, product development or the different aspects of cultural and social commitment. A wide range of archive material appealing to all senses awaits the visitor.
Emil Nolde – World and Home
Würth Collection and loans from Nolde Stiftung Seebüll
Museum Würth 2
7 April 2025 – 28 September 2025
Open daily from 10:00 to 18:00
Free admission
An active life
90 years Reinhold Würth
80 years Würth Group
Atrium of Museum Würth 2, Künzelsau
7 April 2025 – February 2026
Open daily from 10:00 to 18:00
Free admission
Museum Würth 2
Am Forumsplatz 1
74653 Künzelsau
www.KunstKultur.wuerth.com
App Würth Collection