Child and Large Bird _{(Emil Nolde, Expressionism)}

Emil Nolde's works from around 1912 often feature grotesque juxtapositions. Child and Large Bird is one example of such works with its surrealist proportions and absurd combination of figures.

The bird is frighteningly large compared to the child. Nevertheless, its superior size does not prevent it from being scared away by the little girl's peculiar physique. The girl's head is too large in proportion to the thin neck and the tiny body. Her nose is too broad, her forehead too low, and her mouth too wide. The grotesque relationship between the child and the bird is further accentuated by Nolde's use of an expressive colour scheme. The colors are bright and fervent, full of discord.

Nolde's Other Works