Edvard Munch — The Tortured Artist
Munch depicted the modern psychic life through art
Introduction:
Norwegian artist Edvard Munch is one of the most successful artists in portraying primal emotions. Munch is known for his contributions to Symbolism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, as well as to modern art. Munch’s distinctive artistic style was shaped by a tragic childhood. In 1887, when Munch was a teen, his sister suffered a painful death from tuberculosis. His mother eventually died of the same disease, and these two events fundamentally shaped Munch’s future works. As Munch states: “Illness, insanity, and death… were the black angels that kept watch over my cradle and accompanied me all my life.” For the rest of the articles, we will explore some of Munch’s most representative works.
The Sick Child (Original Version, 1886)
The Sick Child (4th Version, 1907)
Munch produced multiple versions of The Sick Child in memory of his sister Sophie’s death during Munch’s teenage years. The original Sick Child painting was one of Munch’s earliest works, in which the themes of death, loss, anxiety, and madness were emphasized. These themes would become the foundations for Munch’s later works, as he attempts to find a place for his broken soul.
Vampire, 1893
Initially, Munch titled the painting ‘Love and Pain”. However, he renamed it to “Vampire” since the depiction looks as if a man is locked in a vampire’s embrace. Interestingly, Munch still insists that this painting was nothing more than a woman kissing a man on the neck, as the man is clearly in anguish, looking for comfort. However, some suggest that a deeper meaning is at play. Perhaps Munch is reminiscing about the death of his sister, or other important figures in his life.
The Scream, 1893
As seen in the thumbnail, The Screen is undoubtedly the most well-known painting from Munch. Although situated in the real world, Munch’s distortion of colors, lines, and figures suggests a world of imagination away from reality. A man can be observed standing on a bridge, emitting a scream in agony. The landscape in the background is one of sweeping curvilinear lines, echoing the cries of agony. A sense of chaos is also established by the red and yellow colors.
Here is a short description written by Munch for this painting surrounding his inspirations:
“I was walking along the road with two friends. The sun was sitting. I felt a breath of melancholy — Suddenly the sky turned blood-red. I stopped, and leaned against the railing, deathly tired — looking out across the flaming clouds that hung like blood and a sword over the blue-back fjord and town. My friends walked on — I stood there, trembling with fear. And I sensed a great, infinite scream pass through nature. (Edvard Munch)”
Other Notable Works:
