Hans Fehr, Halle-Bern (1913)
Klipstein und Kornfeld, Bern, 96th Auction, 1959, lot 487
Olga Monheim, Aachen (1959)
Vega Company, Bahamas
Sale: Christie's, New York, May 19, 1982, lot 36
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Munich, Der Neue Kunstsalon, 1912, no. 29 
Halle, Kunstverein, 1913
Venice, XXVIIIème Exposition biennale internationale des beaux arts, 1956
Zurich, Kunsthaus, no. 38, 1958
Aachen, Suermond-Museum: Deutsche Kunst, Deutsche Kunst im 20. Jahrhundert, 1967, no. 54, illustrated in the catalogue
Galerie Grosshenig, Düsseldorf, Kunst im 20. Jahrhundert, 1974, illustrated in color in the catalogue

P. E. Kuppers, "Nolde", Das Kunstblatt, vol. II, Weimar, 1918, no. 11, illustrated p. 342
Martin Urban, Emil Nolde, Catalogue Raisonné of the Oil Paintings, 1895-1914, vol. I, Seebüll, 1987, no. 499, illustrated p. 437

Work is in excellent condition. Original canvas. Some paint shrinkage in the browns at bottom and purples at upper left, as well as in black pigment on the doll. Under UV light: a small area of uneven varnish fluoresces between the two figures, and some original pigments also fluoresce but no inpainting is apparent. A richly textured impasto is very well preserved throughout. Colors: Richer and deeper, purples more vibrant than in catalogue illustration.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Painted in 1912, this work is a rare and delightful example of Nolde's enigmatic still-life compositions. The expressive power of the brazen palette and thick, textured paint application epitomize his highly individual style. The doll and parrot are "relics of a theatrical event still imbued with the stylized emotions of performance" (S. Hiller, The Myth of Primitivism, London, 1991, p. 99).

In 1911, Nolde and his wife traveled to the Low Countries to visit James Ensor, perhaps stirring Nolde's own interest in the still life genre. Upon his return from the North, he began frequenting the Ethnographꦏic Museum in Berlin, finding interest in the exotic cultures and "primitive" forms. These experiences and new interests lay in the foundation for this charming work - a still life depicting the union of wild and civilized, primitive and captive. The parrot boasts exotically pa🦹inted wings while the doll, very different in origin from her counterpart, displays mask-like makeup and a disproportionate costume, making this unlikely pair quite enchanting.

In a letter to Osthaus in 1913, Nolde explains his aim for paradoxical compositions that result in creativity and originality: "It seems to me that the best solution is attained when... works of art of the most diverse periods and quite different genres are placed... next to one another, provided that they really go together as regards their colour and form... the most different works of art in juxtaposition set themselves off from one another and thereby heighten the effect" (quoted in K. Wolff, Emil Nolde, Munich, 1921, p. 73).

Fig. 1  Emil Nolde, Studie für Puppe und Papagei, 1912, pastel on paper, Nolde-ඣStiftung Collection, Seebüll