Inspired by 19th-century observations of nature, with their predilection for the twilight zones between day and night, Nolde came up with bold solutions, with only some predetermined by nature. In exaggerating the internalized view, he developed a dramatic color realism that distinguishes his landscape watercolors. Nolde gave the austere Frisian landscape a new and highly unusual look, which earned his vibrant watercolors a large circle of admirers. Through their singularity, they continued to influence the art of the present day. Almost entirely without contours, Emil Nolde allowed the dramatic scenery to emerge from the colors. The high sky over a predominantly flat landscape became the measure of all things in Emil Nolde's work. He benefited from all the colorfulness that the landscape lacked. Using a brilliant watercolor technique that Nolde developed, he made the sky light up, making it the dominant element in the painting. [EH]