Emil Nolde‘s portraits reveal a lot about the painter‘s attitude towards life. Despite the seclusion, also in social terms, he and his wife Ada had found in Seebüll, he made portraits every now and then, usually of young women in front of a fictive background with a mysterious presence that occupies almost the entire image area. The names of the portrayed girls are unknown, but they leave an impression with the observer through the mystical and aloof aura that Nolde saw them in. Emil Nold wrote on October 9, 1926:"The artist is a sensitive and shy being, often suffering and pined away. Almost all people are his enemies, his friends and relatives are the worst. The artist dwells behind walls, timeless, rarely outgoing, often retreated into his shell. A strange and deep liking for nature and the bright open reality, clouds passing by, blossoming flowers, creation. Unknown and unnamed people are his friends" (quote from: Ernst Gosebruch, Emil Nolde, Lübeck 1947, p. 2). His portraits also reveal something about this deeply felt escapism. The depicted lady seems lost in reverie, an impression underlined by the free flow of colors and the absence of preliminary drawing or other graphic elements. The delicate coloring and the partly blank sheet emphasize her fragileness. She dominates a composition characterized by a striking immediacy. This watercolor is yet another document of his mastery in watercolor painting, as it finds fulfillment in an airiness unusual for Nolde. [SM]