Before he produced his pivotal piece(s) in the final decade of the 19th century, Munch plied his craft through the usual processes of realism that matures into more personalized expression. There are often interesting hints of what is to come in such early works.
The Norwegian artist explored his style under the influence of his contemporaries or course, and later some influential time in Paris. At times his pieces drift into echoes of Renoir (Sick Child), Pissaro (River at St. Cloud) or Manet.This early (1883) portrait of a young woman kindling a fire is a nice piece that could as easily be an Andrew Wyeth from 80 years later. He captures the figure lovingly and freezes the moment very well, with the hint of orange warmth radiating out from the growing fire in the stove.
There is an on-going interest in the bold diagonal element to his compositions, sometimes evocative of Degas. Indeed his portrait of Writer Hans Jaeger is quite evocative of the famous "Glass of Absinthe." A look over many of Munch's works show the dominant diagonal to guide the viewer's eye.But soon Munch layers his representational semi-impressionist compositions with a surrealist edge and a despair that creates a deeper level of interest.
His self portrait as a young man of 22 in 1886 reveals a more visceral quality. The contrasts and the expression captured are of a combined defiance and ambition.
In the 1890s Munch is in his prime as an artist, producing many notable pieces. Sure, a few sunsets - this one appearing very much like a Monet sketch, but other pieces hint at troubled times. He approaches the pivotal year of 1893 when is likely troubled by mental illness difficulties and will reflect that in a few pivotal pieces.
The bridge over a fjord serves as a backdrop for many Munch pieces. One must consider the symbolism in the bridge - perhaps stretching between normality and despair, positive and negative, humanity and nature.
His painting "Despair" touches on what is to come the next year. It likely depicts the same incident he describes later as the situation of his 'Scream" work. He says he was unspeakably tired under a red sky, stopping on the bridge over the fjord. In a feeling of desperation, and as his friends continued to walk on he saw the vibrant sunset and the blue waters, and felt that nature itself was screaming out to him.
In 1893 he creates his first version of "The Scream" in a pastel drawing.He recreates the piece in 1895 as a pastel again, and then in various other media over the coming years. The 1893 version is shown here. The '95 was sold recently for almost $120M. The rest of the versions remain in Norwegian museums where they are apparently periodically stolen, with minor damage.
While Munch later describes himself as "quite mad" for several years after this period, he still manages to produce interesting pieces. This landscape of is from 1899 and is very evocative of a Monet sunset.
He has some exhibit success and positive regard from his shows. He lives in Paris in the late 1890s - how could that not but have a positive affect on an artist? What a time to be alive, and what a place to be. He returns to Norway, and travels to Italy, and has a somewhat stable relationship. Spoiler alert - it doesn't last, ends badly, with rivalries, gunshots and and injured fingers, apparently, in the process.
But still some interesting work. Isn't it always the way with troubled artists. His portrait of a Fisherman in 1902 is an interesting work. The colours and light are quite engaging.He had both popular and financial success with pieces depicting a sick child as well.
I also enjoyed this landscape from 1903 of "The Forest" where he seems to feel something akin to what Emily Carr puts into her work in the decade that follows.
Following this are even more troubled years for the artist, with heavy drinking and brawling a part of his life, and continued descriptions of paranoia, but finally some concerted attention to therapy as well. There are somewhat positive results with treatment in Munich and a return to Norway in '09 sees an improvement in his ability to work.
Edvard Munch continues to interweave works of despair and angst in works like "Nude I" in 1913 and "The Murderer" of 1910 with more pastoral scenes of workers in a forest (The Lumberjack 1913) and "History" from 1911.
The first war is difficult for him, with mixed loyalties between his love for France and friends in Germany. He contracts, but survives the pandemic Spanish Flu of 1918. I like his work "The Wave" from 1921 particularly. He captures still sometime malevolent in a strong onshore wind, but also the dazzling colour of the landscape.
Munch lives to 1944 and dies in
