Edvard Munch

Edvard Munch

Edvard Munch in 1921
Name	Edvard Munch
Birth name
Birth date	(1863-12-12)12 December 1863
Birth place	Loten, Norway
Death date	23 January 1944(1944-01-23) (aged 80)
Death place	Oslo, Norway
Alma mater
Occupation
Years active
Organization
Known for	Painting, printmaking
Notable works	The Scream, Madonna, The Dance of Life
Spouse(s)
Website

Edvard Munch (12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter and printmaker, renowned for his evocative treatment of psychological themes. His best-known work, The Scream, has become one of the most iconic images of world art.

Early Life and Education

Edvard Munch was born in Loten, Norway, and raised in Christiania (now Oslo). He was the second of five children. His father, Christian Munch, was a doctor, and his mother, Laura Catherine Bjølstad, died of tuberculosis when Edvard was only five years old. This early exposure to illness and death had a profound impact on Munch's life and art.

Munch began studying engineering at the Royal Technical College in Christiania in 1879 but left to pursue painting. He enrolled at the Royal School of Art and Design in 1881, where he was influenced by the naturalistic style of his teacher, Christian Krohg.

Artistic Career

Munch's early work was influenced by Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, but he soon developed his own unique style. In the 1890s, he became associated with the Symbolist movement, which emphasized the expression of emotional experience rather than physical reality.

The Frieze of Life

Munch's major work, The Frieze of Life, is a series of paintings that explore themes of love, anxiety, and death. This series includes some of his most famous works, such as The Scream, Madonna, and The Dance of Life.

The Scream

The Scream is perhaps Munch's most famous painting. It depicts a figure with an agonized expression against a tumultuous orange sky. Munch created several versions of this image, using different media including oil, tempera, pastel, and lithography.

Later Life and Legacy

In his later years, Munch lived in relative isolation in Norway, where he continued to paint until his death in 1944. His work had a significant influence on the development of Expressionism in the early 20th century.

Munch's art is characterized by its emotional intensity and its exploration of themes such as love, fear, death, and existential dread. His innovative use of color and form has made him a pivotal figure in modern art.

Also see

• Symbolism (arts)
• Expressionism
• The Scream
• Norwegian art
• List of Norwegian painters