ART OF FUGUE
„Bach is the greatest composer of all time, and The Art of Fugue is probably his greatest work.
Any attempt to write about it is futile. Nina Stoelting has succeeded in interpreting this wonder
of the world by entirely different means. Her painting is not a transcription of the music;
her paintings are inspired by it, resulting in a visual representation of polyphony.
My highest respect!“
Sir András Schiff
Inspired by personal experiences and the influence of Sir András Schiff, a complex cycle of large-format canvases based on one of Johann Sebastian Bach's major works has been in the creation since autumn 2023.
The Art of Fugue is a series of compositions based on a specific musical theme. It consists of 14 fugues called ‘Contrapunctus’ (and four canons, which are not part of the pictorial exploration). Each Contrapunctus is dedicated to a painting that varies in expression and style in analogy to the development of the fugue theme.
Influenced by Baroque polyphonic music, the picture cycle differs formally from the works in the Capriccio series, which focus on string quartets from the Viennese Classical to the late Romantic period.
In terms of content, the focus remains on the visualisation of music. Each image is preceded by a mental examination, but intuitive comprehension occurs while listening during the lengthy creative process. It evokes a dance-like association that is transferred to the ‘brushes’. These consist of carefully selected plants, which, with the help of their unique structures, allow colour tones, rhythm and expression to be transformed pictorially. Layer by layer, synaesthetic compositions are created that translate sound spaces into image spaces.
"Bach is the greatest composer of all time, and The Art of Fugue is probably his greatest work. Writing about it is a waste of time. Nina Stoelting has succeeded in interpreting this wonder of the world using completely different means. Her painting is not a transcription; her pictures are inspired by the music. The result is a visual representation of polyphony.
My highest respect!"
Quote András Schiff
From March 2 to April 12 of 2026, the complete series of works will be presented at the Casals Forum of the Kronberg Academy.