A revised edition of the most comprehensive monograph on Munch
Though The Scream is undoubtedly his best-known piece, Edvard Munch’s body of work extends far beyond this silent howl to encompass a wide practice across paint, pastel and print. The joint effort of ten scholars, and first published in 2013 to great acclaim, this volume offers a comprehensive survey of Munch’s inimitable contributions to modern art. The publication covers many aspects of Munch’s versatile artistic practice, with a focus on specific themes and phenomena that characterize his work. The texts offer a fresh look at Munch’s oeuvre in the context of modernism, highlighting the issues that the artist grappled with throughout his career: the relationship between art and reality, the artist and the public, and Munch’s misgivings about modernism and his place in the world. With a thorough bibliography, a timeline of the artist’s life, and excerpts of Munch’s own writing, this monograph proves to be a most comprehensive tribute to the artist.
Edvard Munch (1863-1944) was born in rural Norway before his parents moved to Oslo (then called Kristiana). He grew up under the influence of frequent family illness, both mental and physical, and would later use his art as a means of expressing his turbulent psychological state. He studied at the Royal School of Art and Design in Oslo and spent time in Paris and Berlin. Most of his work managed to survive the Nazi purges of “degenerate art.”