Edvard Munch: Love and Angst

Delve into the captivating world of Edvard Munch's prints, which played a pivotal role in his creative process and established his esteemed reputation as an artist.

Renowned as one of the most prominent expressionist artists, Edvard Munch (1863–1944) is often associated with his iconic masterpiece, The Scream. However, this remarkable work represents just a fraction of his extensive exploration of raw human emotions, which he fully realized through his sophisticated prints.

Munch's early life was marked by illness and poverty, which profoundly influenced his artistic expression. His early works centered around the intense portrayal of deep emotional experiences, such as the loss of his mother and teenage sister, as well as tumultuous love affairs disapproved by his deeply religious father. Embracing experimentation and pushing artistic boundaries, Munch's style was a radical departure from the prevailing society portraits and grand Scandinavian landscapes of the time. Continuously revisiting his subjects, Munch skillfully evoked a wide range of emotions and moods in his prints and strikingly large lithographs. Notably, his innovative use of a jigsaw technique in woodcuts produced a diverse array of colors and tones.

Edvard Munch: Love and Angst, published 75 years after the artist's passing, offers fascinating insights into Munch's captivating imagery and the creation of his often overlooked prints. This publication features an illuminating interview with Norwegian writer Karl Ove Knausgaard, providing further depth and understanding of Munch's artistic journey.