Photo by Munch Museum
Edvard Munch: The man behind the Scream
From troubled beginnings to pop culture icon: Edvard Munch was both misunderstood and praised in his time, but he ultimately became a world-renowned painter.
What comes to mind when you think about Edvard Munch? You might know he was a painter, perhaps even a Norwegian one.
But whether you’ve heard of him or not, you’ve probably seen his iconic painting The Scream.
The Scream. Photo by Munch Museum
Munch’s most famous work is often referred to as the world’s second most famous artwork – after the Mona Lisa. Not bad for an artist from a country that’s often been seen as an underdog in the art world!
Let’s be honest – we know we’re not France or Italy when it comes to art history. But Norway still has a lot to offer, and Munch is one of our most significant contributions to the world of art.
“We actually have the largest collection of works by a single artist in the world, even bigger than those of artists like Monet, Picasso, and Van Gogh”, says Trine Otte Bak Nielsen.
She’s a curator at the Munch Museum in Oslo, which houses more than 26,000 works by the Norwegian artist.
And yes – you’ll find the Scream here.
Let’s dive into some fascinating facts about the mysterious man himself.
1. A childhood marked by illness gave him time to explore his artistic sides
Photo by Munch Museum
Edvard Munch was born in 1863 in Løten, a small town about 90 minutes from Oslo. The following year his family moved to Oslo, then called Christiania. During his childhood years, Munch lost both his mother and older sister Johanne Sophie to illness, which would shape his life and art.
Munch himself was often sick as a child, suffering from chronic bronchitis and severe fevers. Forced to stay in bed for long periods, he was homeschooled, and got to spend a lot of time on his favorite hobby – drawing.
At 17, he writes in his diary:
“My destiny is now to become a painter.”
Munch with his dog called Boy. Photo by Munch Museum.
2. He had little formal training
Photo by Munch Museum.
As a budding artist in Norway at the time, he faced his own set of challenges.
“Norway was a young, small nation without any national art academy”, Nielsen says, adding:
“Apart from his year as a student at the Royal School of Art, and later mentoring from the essential Norwegian artist Christian Krohg, Munch had no formal education.”
Instead, Munch traveled across Europe for inspiration. He spent more than 20 years abroad, staying in cities such as Paris and Berlin, before returning to Norway in 1909.
“There were definitely pros and cons to being an artist from Norway at the time. Maybe his international trips played a crucial role in making him the world-renowned artist he eventually became?” Nielsen says.
Photo by Munch Museum
3. His first international exhibition was a disaster
Photo by Munch Museum.
Munch had his first semi-breakthrough at The Autumn Exhibition, Norway’s largest annual art exhibition, with his painting The Sick Child in 1886. With its raw, vulnerable and slightly unfinished style, the painting caused quite a stir, being called both bold and touching.
The Sick Child (1886). Photo by Munch Museum
His first international exhibition was in Berlin in 1892, where he was invited to showcase his work at the Union of Berlin Artists.
“It didn’t sit well with the members of the conservative art association, who reacted with disgust and shut down the exhibition after just a few days”, says Nielsen.
Munch's paintings were deemed too provocative and were called an insult to art. His critics believed he painted too crudely and vulgarly, and with the wrong colors.
However, among other leading artists of the time, such as writers August Strindberg, Stanislaw Przybyszewski, and Richard Dehmel – who all moved in the same circles as Munch – the paintings were appreciated.
Munch himself was delighted. He saw it as a great publicity stunt, and as the strategist he was, he took the entire exhibition on tour in Germany.
“In 1912, he was invited as a guest of honor to a major exhibition in Cologne alongside Picasso, Cézanne, and Van Gogh, among others. During these years, he held many exhibitions and built an extensive network. In other words, he managed to gain international recognition during his lifetime”, says Nielsen.
4. He was a pioneer in multiple fields
Photo by Munch Museum.
Munch lived in a time where realistic renderings were all the rage. During this period, he became a pioneer in expressive painting, daring to challenge traditional approaches to painting and its materials – such as using oil paint, crayons, and charcoal in the same artwork.
Photo by Munch Museum
Or, as Munch himself is believed to have stated: “We should no longer paint interiors, people reading, and women knitting. There should be living people who breathe and feel, suffer and love.”
In addition, Munch was fascinated by technological innovations. He predicted the invention of mobile phones as early as in 1910, when he supposedly wrote to a friend:
"Had I been in possession of the not-yet-invented little wireless telephone device that one carries in one’s pocket, you would have heard from me long ago."
And you may think that taking a selfie is a relatively new concept? Think again. Munch was already doing it in the 1930s.
5. He has his own emoji
Photo by Munch Museum | Einar Aslaksen
The Scream, which was created in 1893, has become an iconic image in pop culture – and an emoji as well – 😱
The eerie figure and the raw emotions it conveys was met with both love and hate when it was first exhibited, and it has since become Munch’s most famous work.
Whether Munch himself knew his creation would end up as one of the most recognized images ever, is hard to tell. But one thing is undeniable – he had an unwavering drive to share his art with the world.
“Munch was probably a bit misunderstood. He’s often perceived as a loner – a depressed, lonely soul – but he was much more than that. Once you visit the Munch Museum and get to know his art, it becomes clear that there are a lot of different sides to him”, says Nielsen.
And that’s what makes Munch so compelling. His art is both universal and relatable.
“Instead of painting in a realistic style, he was concerned with capturing real people and emotions in his paintings. In The Scream and other works, he simplified the images and withheld some of the details, widening the room for interpretations.”
Maybe that’s why Munch’s art – to this day – continues to resonate across the world?
Photos by Munch Museum
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