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EDVARD MUNCH
Munch's Journey from Norwegian Naturalist to European Expressionist
Edvard Munch was born on December 12, 1863, in Løten, Norway, to Christian Munch, a religious military doctor, and his wife Laura (née Bjølstad). He grew up in the Norwegian capital of Oslo (then still called Christiania). His mother died of tuberculosis just a few years after Edvard's birth.
In early days Edvard Munch declared in his diary:
"I have decided to become an artist"
However, his father's wishes initially carried more weight, and in 1881, Munch began studying engineering. He dropped out after a year to start an artistic education at the drawing school in Christiania. He rented a studio with six other artists to continue his artistic studies there.
Edvard Munch: Hopfenblüte. Kortspelerska
Thielska Galleriet - Public Domain, 1902
Thielska Galleriet - Public Domain, 1902
Bohemian
In 1884, Edvard Munch joined the 'Kristiania-Bohemia' circle. This group expressed dissent against bourgeois society and its morals, advocating for social equality and sexual freedom.
In 1885, Munch stayed in Paris for the first time for study purposes. He began work on his piece 'The Sick Child', which is described as a radical break with Realism. The first compositions for other paintings ( 'Puberty', 'The Day After') were also created during this time.
The first exhibition of 'The Sick Child' at the annual Autumn Exhibition in Christiania earned Munch both praise and criticism. He was 23 years old at the time. He would go on to paint five more versions of this artwork, which over the years incorporated more color while maintaining the same overall composition.
With his first solo exhibition in Christiania in 1889, Edvard Munch gained favor with the Norwegian state, which granted him a three-year artist's scholarship. Munch used this to study with Léon Bonnat in Paris. The experiments of the Parisian art scene, in search of new forms, had a liberating effect on Munch.
Shortly after arriving in France, Munch received news of his father's death. 'Night in Saint-Cloud' is believed to be an expression of this event in his life.
Edvard Munch: The Scream
Munch Museum - Public Domain, 1910
Munch Museum - Public Domain, 1910
Affæren Munch
In November 1892, at the invitation of the Berlin Art Association, Munch exhibited a selection of his paintings for the first time in Germany at the 'Architektenhaus' (Architects' House) on Wilhelmstrasse 92.
After only eight days (November 5-12, 1892), the exhibition was closed at the instigation of Anton von Werner, director of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Parts of the public perceived Munch's paintings as an "anarchist provocation" and it's widely referred to as a scandal.
Munch was pleased with the "great commotion", and wrote in a letter: "Never have I had such an amusing time—it's incredible that something as innocent as painting should have created such a stir."
The so-called 'Munch Scandal' of 1892 is regarded in German art history as the 'birth of Modernism'. The lively controversy surrounding Munch's paintings led to the founding of the 'Berlin Secession'. Then, in 1893, Munch moved to Berlin.
Edvard Munch: The Sun (Part of Edvard Munch’s Aula decorations)
University of Oslo’s Art Collection - Public Domain, 1911
University of Oslo’s Art Collection - Public Domain, 1911
Here, he exhibited series of paintings like ' A Human Life', which included works such as ' The Scream', 'Vampire', 'The Storm', 'Madonna', and 'The Voice'. He began working on the ' Frieze of Life' and published lithographs before moving to Paris in 1896, a city he already knew from his student days.
In Paris, the first color lithographs and woodcuts were created. He exhibited at the ' Salon des Indépendants' before Edvard Munch returned to Germany between 1902 and 1908.
Painting commissions repeatedly led him to Berlin, Lübeck, Weimar, and Chemnitz. Afterwards, he went to Thuringia, visiting Elgersburg, Ilmenau, and Bad Kösen (1905/1906). Warnemünde was to be the final stop of his self-chosen German exile. In 1909, Munch returned to Norway.
As late as 1912, Edvard Munch, alongside Pablo Picasso, was the only living artist to be granted an honorary hall at the Sonderbund Exhibition in Cologne. However, by 1937, Munch's work was defamed by the Nazis as ' degenerate art', a fate shared by other artists during that period. Eighty-two of his works held in German collections were confiscated.
Edvard Munch died on January 23, 1944, at Ekely, which he had purchased in 1916 and was located in the vicinity of Christiania (now Oslo). In the years leading up to his death, he lived a reclusive life but continued to work as an artist.
The biography ' Der Sturm' (Hatje Cantz Verlag) offers a new, profound look at the life and work of Edvard Munch—one of modernism's most fascinating and, at the same time, most enigmatic artists. Based on both known and new sources, the book tells the story of a life in an exceptional state: Munch's creative work began in 1886 and quickly became the center of a restless, unsettled life, marked as much by artistic devotion as by personal crises.
Munch's early works still adhered to the tradition of Norwegian Naturalism and Realism. In Paris, he became acquainted with Pointillism and Synthetism. However, his painterly temperament and the freedom of his technique remained largely uninfluenced by these styles.
Munch's paintings and lithographs are some of the most famous in the world. Foremost among them is ' The Scream', which has not only entered modern pop culture as an emoji but also provided inspiration for many more pop culture phenomena, such as the killer's mask in the 'Scream' film series. The book 'Der Schrei' is dedicated to Edvard Munch's paintings as a source of inspiration. 'The Scream' — as one of his most famous works — was painted by Edvard Munch multiple times, as were other motifs of his.
Munch is classified as an early exponent of Expressionism. He broke early on with the prevailing focus on Naturalism, turning instead to painting as a means of expressing inner processes and emotions. Even in his later work, Munch remained true to his style and was not influenced by the emerging abstract painting.
In Paris, the first color lithographs and woodcuts were created. He exhibited at the ' Salon des Indépendants' before Edvard Munch returned to Germany between 1902 and 1908.
Painting commissions repeatedly led him to Berlin, Lübeck, Weimar, and Chemnitz. Afterwards, he went to Thuringia, visiting Elgersburg, Ilmenau, and Bad Kösen (1905/1906). Warnemünde was to be the final stop of his self-chosen German exile. In 1909, Munch returned to Norway.
Scream
As late as 1912, Edvard Munch, alongside Pablo Picasso, was the only living artist to be granted an honorary hall at the Sonderbund Exhibition in Cologne. However, by 1937, Munch's work was defamed by the Nazis as ' degenerate art', a fate shared by other artists during that period. Eighty-two of his works held in German collections were confiscated.
Edvard Munch: Self-Portrait with Moustache and Starched Collar
National Gallery of Norway - Public Domain, 1905
National Gallery of Norway - Public Domain, 1905
Edvard Munch died on January 23, 1944, at Ekely, which he had purchased in 1916 and was located in the vicinity of Christiania (now Oslo). In the years leading up to his death, he lived a reclusive life but continued to work as an artist.
The biography ' Der Sturm' (Hatje Cantz Verlag) offers a new, profound look at the life and work of Edvard Munch—one of modernism's most fascinating and, at the same time, most enigmatic artists. Based on both known and new sources, the book tells the story of a life in an exceptional state: Munch's creative work began in 1886 and quickly became the center of a restless, unsettled life, marked as much by artistic devotion as by personal crises.
Munch's early works still adhered to the tradition of Norwegian Naturalism and Realism. In Paris, he became acquainted with Pointillism and Synthetism. However, his painterly temperament and the freedom of his technique remained largely uninfluenced by these styles.
Munch's paintings and lithographs are some of the most famous in the world. Foremost among them is ' The Scream', which has not only entered modern pop culture as an emoji but also provided inspiration for many more pop culture phenomena, such as the killer's mask in the 'Scream' film series. The book 'Der Schrei' is dedicated to Edvard Munch's paintings as a source of inspiration. 'The Scream' — as one of his most famous works — was painted by Edvard Munch multiple times, as were other motifs of his.
In 'Munch A-Z', 26 short chapters—ranging from A for Angst (Anxiety), to G for Gespenster (Ghosts), R for Revolver, and all the way to Z for Zoo—present both well-known and surprising aspects of his art and life in an entertaining way.
Munch is classified as an early exponent of Expressionism. He broke early on with the prevailing focus on Naturalism, turning instead to painting as a means of expressing inner processes and emotions. Even in his later work, Munch remained true to his style and was not influenced by the emerging abstract painting.
Edvard Munch: Horse Team Ploughing
Munch Museum - Public Domain, 1919
Munch Museum - Public Domain, 1919
published at xxxx.xx.xx. – Uwe Dreysel
Header Image: Edvard Munch, Self-Portrait between his own paintings, Kragerø, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Munchmuseet
Sources:
Edvard Munch: A - Z, Hatje Cantz Verlag
dhm.de/lemo/biografie/edvard-munch
visitnorway.de/aktivitaten/kunst-und-kultur/edvard-munch/
visitoslo.com/de/artikel/uber-edvard-munch/
wikipedia.org/wiki/Edvard_Munch
wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_Munch
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Veröffentlicht am:
14.07.2025
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