Edvard Munch
Norwegian painter of The Scream
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Edvard Munch (12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter whose 1893 work *The Scream* became an iconic image in Western art. His childhood was marked by illness, bereavement, and fear of inheriting a family mental condition. After his mother and favorite sister died of tuberculosis, he was raised by his father—a doctor with a morbidly religious temperament—and an aunt. Often ill and kept from school, Munch drew to occupy himself. His father’s obsessive piety and ghost stories, combined with his own poor health, inspired macabre visions; he felt death was constantly approaching. A younger sister was diagnosed with mental illness early, and Munch later wrote that he inherited “the heritage of consumption and insanity.” The family lived in genteel poverty, moving frequently. By his teens, art dominated his interests; at 13 he admired works at a newly formed art association and began painting in oils.
Studying at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania (Oslo), Munch adopted a bohemian lifestyle influenced by the nihilist Hans Jæger, who urged him to paint his emotional and psychological state—a “soul painting” that became his distinctive style. Travel brought new influences: in Paris he learned from Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, especially their use of color; in Berlin he met dramatist August Strindberg and began his major series *The Frieze of Life*, exploring love, anxiety, jealousy, and betrayal. *The Scream* was conceived in Kristiania after Munch heard “the enormous, infinite scream of nature” at sunset. Between 1893 and 1910 he made two painted versions, two in pastels, and numerous prints. One pastel later commanded the fourth highest nominal auction price. Though his fame grew, his emotional state remained insecure. A 1908 mental breakdown forced him to stop heavy drinking; his later years were spent working in peace. His works were banned in Nazi-occupied Europe but mostly survived World War II. Munch was also highly active in graphic art, largely self-taught, producing intaglio works on copper plates from 1894.
- born
- 12 December 1863
- died
- 23 January 1944
- field
- Painting, graphic art, printmaking
- nationality
- Norwegian
- known_for
- The Scream (1893)
Lore & Background
Munch's childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dread of inheriting a mental condition that ran in the family. Studying at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania (Oslo), Munch began to live a bohemian life under the influence of the nihilist Hans Jæger, who urged him to paint his own emotional and psychological state ('soul painting'); from this emerged his distinctive style. Travel brought new influences and outlets. In Paris, he learned much from Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, especially their use of color. In Berlin, he met the Swedish dramatist August Strindberg, whom he painted, as he embarked on a major series of paintings he would later call The Frieze of Life. The Scream was conceived in Kristiania. According to Munch, he was out walking at sunset, when he 'heard the enormous, infinite scream of nature'. Between 1893 and 1910, he made two painted versions and two in pastels, as well as a number of prints. One of the pastels would eventually command the fourth highest nominal price paid for a painting at auction. As his fame and wealth grew, his emotional state remained insecure. A mental breakdown in 1908 forced him to give up heavy drinking. His later years were spent working in peace and privacy. Although his works were banned in Nazi-occupied Europe, most of them survived World War II, securing his legacy. Munch displayed a remarkable talent for drawing from an early age, yet he received minimal formal artistic training. A pivotal influence on his artistic growth was his association with the Kristiania Bohème—a progressive circle of writers and artists in Kristiania. Among the more established painters in this circle, Christian Krohg provided Munch with valuable instruction as well as ongoing encouragement and support. Edvard Munch was highly active in the fields of graphic art and printmaking, producing a substantial body of work using intaglio techniques—such as etching, drypoint, and aquatint—on copper plates. Beginning in 1894, he embarked on engraving directly onto copper and, largely self-taught and without formal instruction, created numerous masterpieces in this medium.
Reader's Guide
Munch's childhood was marked by illness, bereavement, and fear of inheriting a mental condition. He studied at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania. Influenced by Hans Jæger, he developed 'soul painting'. In Paris, he learned from Gauguin, van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec. In Berlin, he met August Strindberg and began The Frieze of Life. The Scream was inspired by a walk at sunset. He made two painted versions and two pastels between 1893 and 1910. A 1908 mental breakdown led him to stop heavy drinking. His works were banned in Nazi-occupied Europe but most survived. He was largely self-taught in engraving on copper plates from 1894.
Did You Know?
- Munch's 1893 work The Scream has become one of the most iconic images in Western art.
- He made two painted versions and two pastels of The Scream between 1893 and 1910.
- One pastel of The Scream commanded the fourth highest nominal price paid for a painting at auction.
- Munch was largely self-taught in engraving directly onto copper plates, beginning in 1894.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"Edvard Munch (12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian Symbolist painter and printmaker, and an important forerunner of the Expressionistic art movement." — Edvard Munch "No longer shall I paint interiors with men reading and women knitting. I will paint living people who breathe and feel and suffer and love." — Edvard Munch "Quote from Munch's text (1889) 'Impressions from a ballroom, New Year's Eve in St. Cloud' - also known as 'The St. Cloud Manifesto'" — Edvard Munch "I thought I should make something – I felt it would be so easy – it would take form under my hands like magic." — Edvard Munch
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