Norwegian artist Edward Munch (1863–1944) is one of the most significant artists of modernism. His career in art lasted six decades from his debut in 1880 until his death. He boldly experimented in the fields of painting, graphics, sculpture, photography and became a pioneer of expressionist art since the early 1900s.
Edward Munch was born on 12/12/1863 on a farm 140 kilometers north of Christiania, as Oslo was then called. By the time he was born, his parents, who were married in 1861, already had a daughter, Sophie. The boy was born frail and seemed so weak that he had to be baptized at home. However, he lived up to 80 years, became a great Norwegian expressionist painter, while a more dramatic fate awaited his family members.
Edward Munch (standing right) with his mother, sisters and brother
Edward Munch The memory of childhood. 1890-1892
Biography and works of Edward Munch
In 1864, the Edward family moved to Christiania. In 1868, his mother Laura died of tuberculosis, leaving five children in the arms of her heartbroken husband. Mother's sister Karen Bjölstad came to the rescue. She was a self-taught artist, from her a little nephew and took over the love of painting.
Edward Munch Aunt Karen in a rocking chair
In 1877, tuberculosis takes another victim from the Munk family. Sophie, Edward's favorite older sister, is dying. After a short time, the symptoms of schizophrenia appear in Laura’s younger sister. Later, in his dramatic works, he conveys the emotions that possessed an impressionable child from what is happening. Memories of the disease, and then the death of his mother and sister, never gave him rest.
In 1779, Edward Munch entered the Technical College. This study brings him the understanding that his life's work is painting. He decisively leaves college and enters the Royal School of Art and Design.
His father, a military doctor Christian Munk, who, after the death of his wife, went into religion over the top measure, was wary of the choice of his son. Having become too god-fearing, he worried about the temptations that his son was faced with in art.
Edward Munch Christian Munch (father) on the couch. 1881
In 1882, together with six colleagues, Edward rented a studio for painting. Mentor of young artists becomes a realist painter Christian Krog. His influence later reflected on the work of Munch.
During 1883, Edward Munch exhibited his work at the exhibition for the first time, and his painting "Morning" evokes positive reviews.
Edward Munch Morning
In March 1884, the artist received a Schaffer scholarship, and in 1885 he first went abroad. There he participates in the World Exhibition in Antwerp with a portrait of his younger sister Inger.
Edward Munch Sister Inger, 1884
In 1886, Munch continued to exhibit his work at exhibitions. One of the main paintings in his life, "Sick Girl", causes a scandalous reaction. Viewers perceive the canvas as a sketch for the picture, and not as a finished work. The plot of the canvas was inspired by Munch's constant memories of the death of her older sister Sophie. At the time of her illness and fading, Edward was only 15 years old. He remembered her pale face, thin trembling hands, almost transparent skin, and therefore with strokes that seemed to the audience incomplete, he wanted to display an almost ghostly image of a dying girl.
Edward Munch Sick girl
In the spring of 1889, Munch organized his first solo, and generally the first solo exhibition in Christiania, exhibition. He is only 26 years old. The creative luggage accumulated by this time allowed him to exhibit 63 paintings and 46 drawings in the Student Society.
In November, Munch's father dies of a stroke. Edward was in Paris at that time and could not catch his funeral. The departure of the father for the artist, deeply impressionable from early childhood, was a terrible shock. He is embraced by depression. Later, his sad work, "A Night in Saint Cloud, " appears. In the image of a lonely man who sits in a dark room and peers into the night blue outside, researchers see Edward himself or his recently deceased father.
Edward Munch Overnight in Saint Cloud. 1890
From the early 1890s, for thirty years, Edward Munch has been working on the cycle “The Frieze of Life: A Poem on Love, Life, and Death”. In the paintings, he reflects the main stages of human existence and the existential experiences associated with them: love, pain, anxiety, jealousy and death.
In 1890, Munch shows his works at several exhibitions. Again, for the third year in a row, he receives a state grant and visits Europe. In Le Havre, Munch is seriously ill with rheumatic fever and is being hospitalized. In December, five of his paintings die during a fire.
The year 1891 was marked by the fact that the National Gallery first acquired his work "Night in Nice."
Edward Munch Overnight in Nice. 1891
In the summer of 1892, Munch holds a large exhibition at the Parliament Building in Christiania. Munch's works were liked by the Norwegian landscape painter Adelstin Norman, and he invites him to exhibit in Berlin. But the German capital met Munch’s work unfriendly to such an extent that the exhibition had to be closed a week after the opening. The artist settles in Berlin and joins the underground world.
Munch lives in Berlin, but constantly visits Paris and Christiania, where he usually spends all summer. In December 1895, another loss overtakes Edward Munch - the younger brother Andreas dies of pneumonia.
In the same 1985, the artist writes the first version of his most striking and famous painting, "Scream."
Edward Munch Scream. 1893
In total, Munch has written four versions of Scream. This is not the only work, versions of which he repeated repeatedly. Perhaps the desire to reproduce the same plot several times was caused by manic-depressive psychosis, from which the artist suffered. But also it could be a search for the creator of the most perfect image, thoroughly conveying his emotions.
There are several versions of Munch's painting on the theme "Kiss."
Edward Munch Kiss. 1891
Edward Munch Kiss. 1892
Edward Munch Kiss. 1892
Edward Munch Kiss. 1897.
Edward Munch Kiss. 1902
Relations with Women and Edward Munch's Disease
Edward Munch
Edward Munch had a very attractive appearance, some called him the most handsome man in Norway. But with women, his relationship either did not work out, or were complicated and confusing.
In 1885, Munch falls in love with a married woman, Milli Taulov. The novel lasts several years and ends with a break and the artist’s love experiences.
Milli Taulov
In 1898, Edward Munch meets Tulla (Matilda) Larsen, a stormy romance with which lasted the next four years. Munch wrote about her: "A thin and arrogant face … the hair framing him is like a radiance. The amazing smile of her lips tightly closed reminds me of the image of the Madonna and causes an inexplicable feeling of longing."
Tulla (Matilda) Larsen
In the summer of 1902, he received a gunshot wound to his left hand during a conflict with his mistress, who unsuccessfully tried to become Munch's wife. Edward finally parted with Tulla Larson. His state of mind is becoming increasingly unbalanced. As always, the artist subsequently displays any of his strong feelings in his works.
Edward Munch Killer. 1906
Edward Munch The death of Marat. 1907
He spends most of his time in Germany and regularly exhibits. Gradually, Edward Munch becomes a recognized but controversial artist. In 1902, he exhibited 22 paintings from his cycle "Life Frieze", which he is constantly working on. The painting "Madonna" is one of Munch's works in this series. The model for one of the versions of the picture was the close friend of the artist Dagny Yul (Hyell).
Edward Munch Madonna 1894-1895
Dagny Yul
In 1903, Munch began an affair with the English violinist Eva Mudochchi. Their love relationship does not add up due to nervous breakdowns, scandalous, suspicious, inadequate Munch. In addition, he suffers from alcoholism.
As a child, Edward dreamed terrible dreams that were born of an impressionable boy under the influence of frenzied moralizing of an overly religious father. Munk has been haunted all his life by images of sad dying mothers and sisters. It was common for him to acutely experience any event. In 1908, a breakdown occurred, and he was sent to a private psychiatric clinic, Dr. Jacobson, in a state of mental disorder.
Edward Munch At a Psychiatric Clinic, 1908
