Ernst Wilhelm Nay

(German, 1902–1968)

Ernst Wilhelm Nay was a German painter known for his association with the Art Informel movement and post-World War II artists such as Karel Appel, Jean Dubuffet, and Alberto Burri. Despite working exclusively in abstraction, Nay’s distinctive Expressionistic use of color and textile-like patterning show the influence of representational painters like Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and the Henri Matisse. Born on June 1, 1911 in Berlin, Germany, he went on to study under Karl Hofer at the Berlin Art Academy. Nay was on track for a successful career in Germany, until the Nazi regime labeled his work as Degenerate, thereby making it illegal for him to show or even produce artworks. After being conscripted into the Nazi army, the artist served in France where he was able to secretly paint in a friend’s sculpture studio. It was not until a decade after the war with his participation in the 1956 Venice Biennale that Nay made a breakthrough into the international art scene. Today, his works are in the collections of the Kunstmuseum Basel, the Tate Modern in London, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, and the Nationalgalerie in Berlin, among others. he died on April 8, 1968 in Cologne, Germany.

Ernst Wilhelm Nay News

Art Fairs

See What Treasures Await at TEFAF 2017 in Maastricht

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See What Treasures Await at TEFAF 2017 in Maastricht
Art & Exhibitions

Gallery Hopping: Ernst Wilhelm Nay at Aurel Scheibler, Berlin

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Gallery Hopping: Ernst Wilhelm Nay at Aurel Scheibler, Berlin
Art & Exhibitions

Must-See Art Guide: Berlin

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Must-See Art Guide: Berlin

Ernst Wilhelm Nay Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Ernst Wilhelm Nay (2,589 results)
Sylphenspiel, 1949

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Sylphenspiel, 1949

Sale Date: May 28, 2011

Auction Closed

Untitled (+ color study, color pencil;..., 1966–1967

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Untitled (+ color study, color pencil;..., 1966–1967

Sale Date: May 28, 2011

Auction Closed

Menschenpaar, 1939

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Menschenpaar, 1939

Sale Date: May 28, 2011

Auction Closed

Über den Menschen (portfolio of 6 w/title..., 1965

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Über den Menschen (portfolio of 6 w/title..., 1965

Sale Date: June 1, 2011

Auction Closed

Scheiben, 1957

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Scheiben, 1957

Sale Date: May 28, 2011

Auction Closed

Mit einem grünen Punkt, 1956

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Mit einem grünen Punkt, 1956

Sale Date: May 28, 2011

Auction Closed

Über den Menschen (portfolio of 6), 1965

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Über den Menschen (portfolio of 6), 1965

Sale Date: May 28, 2011

Auction Closed

Figurale Europa (Ausschnitt), 1948

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Figurale Europa (Ausschnitt), 1948

Sale Date: May 28, 2011

Auction Closed

Scheiben, 1955

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Scheiben, 1955

Sale Date: May 28, 2011

Auction Closed

Zenith, 1963

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Zenith, 1963

Sale Date: May 27, 2011

Auction Closed

Blätter und schwarze Punkte, 1954

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Blätter und schwarze Punkte, 1954

Sale Date: May 27, 2011

Auction Closed

Chromatische Scheiben, 1960

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Chromatische Scheiben, 1960

Sale Date: May 27, 2011

Auction Closed

Rot links oben, 1962

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Rot links oben, 1962

Sale Date: May 27, 2011

Auction Closed

Ohne Titel (Tanzendes Paar), 1942–1943

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Ohne Titel (Tanzendes Paar), 1942–1943

Sale Date: May 28, 2011

Auction Closed

Lofotenfischer an ihrem Boot, 1935

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Lofotenfischer an ihrem Boot, 1935

Sale Date: May 28, 2011

Auction Closed

Rhythmische Komposition, 1951

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Rhythmische Komposition, 1951

Sale Date: May 18, 2011

Auction Closed

Ohne Titel, 1962

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Ohne Titel, 1962

Sale Date: May 13, 2011

Auction Closed

Rot aus Blau, pl. 4 (from Europäische..., 1964

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Rot aus Blau, pl. 4 (from Europäische..., 1964

Sale Date: May 7, 2011

Auction Closed

Dominant-Blau, pl. 3 (from Europäische..., 1964

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Dominant-Blau, pl. 3 (from Europäische..., 1964

Sale Date: May 7, 2011

Auction Closed

Die Wüste, pl. 1 (from E.W. Nay, Sechs..., 1965

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Die Wüste, pl. 1 (from E.W. Nay, Sechs..., 1965

Sale Date: May 7, 2011

Auction Closed

Sechs Aquatinten. Über den Menschen..., 1965

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Sechs Aquatinten. Über den Menschen..., 1965

Sale Date: May 7, 2011

Auction Closed

Farbaquatinta - 2 (NOR), 1963

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Farbaquatinta - 2 (NOR), 1963

Sale Date: March 26, 2011

Auction Closed

Farblitho, 1992

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Farblitho, 1992

Sale Date: March 26, 2011

Auction Closed

Vernis mou III, 1959

Ernst Wilhelm Nay

Vernis mou III, 1959

Sale Date: March 26, 2011

Auction Closed

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