EDVARD MUNCH (1863-1944, Norway)
EXPRESSIONISM
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IN HISTORY…
The movement was centered in Germany, starting
around 1905 and ending in the 1940s
The intention was not to reproduce the subject matter
accurately. Instead, the artists’ emotions and inner
feelings were more important, and we meant to be
expressed in these paintings.
the artists often distorted and exaggerated their works
for emotional effect- in order to allow the viewer to
feel what they felt within their brushstrokes
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Even post-impressionist painters were starting to show
characteristics of expressionism (for example, Vincent
van Gogh)
at this time, France continues to be the focal point of
art in the late 1800s and into the early 1900s
However, German expressionism is slowly becoming
more popular, as artists paint to show emotion rather
than to realistically depict the world around them.
ABOUT MUNCH AND HIS IMPORTANCE IN ART HISTORY
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He learned about tragedy at a very young age: his mother died when he was 5, and his sister died from tuberculosis
when he was 14 (his sister was 15). because of these losses, he was obsessed with death, which caused him to
show themes of anxiety, loss, abandonment and loneliness in his art
He was born and raised in Norway, however played a huge role in German Expressionism because of the strong
mental and emotional anguish in his paintings.
CHARACTERISTICS
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strong diagonals and dark, foreboding shapes
intense, emotional colours
semi-abstraction and distortion
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themes of anxiety, emotional suffering, death
and human vulnerability
THE SICK CHILD (6 paintings and several studies with other media between 1885 and 1926)
 Munch painted this traumatic event of his older sister Joanne Sophie in her
deathbed over and over again, through 6 paintings, as well as other studies that included
lithographs and etchings
 In the painting, Joanne is lying in her deathbed, suffering from pain, with a large
white pillow at her back.
 The woman that is seen at Joanne’s side is assumed to be her aunt Karen. She is
grieving, holding Joanne’s hand tightly, and does not look at her.
 Joanne is seen looking over the grieving woman’s head, at and ominous, dark
curtain, which may represent death.
The Sick Child, 1885-1886.
Oil on Canvas
 As a child, he too almost died from tuberculosis. He records his feelings and
anguish about the death of his sister in this painting.
THE SCREAM (2 paintings and 2 pastel drawings between 1893 and 1910)
 The composition was painted 4 times with either oil, tempera or pastel on
cardboard (2 paintings, 2 pastel)
 this is a very disturbing painting, bringing forward negative and tense
emotions like anxiety and fear
 We don’t know why the isolated figure is screaming or whether it is
frightened or not.
 All we know is that the scream is real as it comes out of its agonized mouth
and its sound waves turn into the ominous river in the background.
The Scream, 1893,
Oil and Tempera on Cardboard.
GIRLS ON THE BRIDGE (oil paintings between 1901 and 1935)
 Just like with many of his paintings, Munch had done many different versions
of this composition, most of them having noticeable differences, as opposed to the
different versions of “The Sick Child” or “The Scream”.
 This version, depicting three girls on a bridge overlooking a dark river, gives
off the feeling of impending tragedy, as most of his works did.
 The faceless figures aren’t identifiable and aren’t able to accept pity or help
 There is a lot of psychological drama in this painting, but Munch provides no
relief of the intense emotion.
 This painting could be a picture of people on a bridge, however Munch
expresses his own feelings (gloom, despair, general negativity and fear) into what he
was seeing.
Girls on a Bridge, between 1904 and 1907
Oil on Canvas