On the Waves of Love, 1896. Lithograph
On the Waves of Love, 1896. Lithograph
Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) is renowned for his
preoccupation with universal emotions such as
isolation, melancholy, anxiety, and love. His graphic
works are amongst his most arresting and poignant and are celebrated
world-wide for their
technical mastery and visual intensity.
Munch first lived in Paris in 1889, and made his earliest prints in 1894
while residing in Berlin. This was a moment of resurgence for the graphic
arts in Europe, and in both cities Munch saw the work of leading European
artists. In Germany, etchings by Max Klinger and lithographs by Max
Liebermann were highly acclaimed, while in France, artists such as Henri
de Toulouse-Lautrec and Paul Gauguin were using lithography and woodcut
respectively in new ways.
Jealousy, 1896. Lithograph on Japan paper
The gloomy-looking figure gazing out of this scene is Munch's friend, the Polish writer Stanislaw Przybyszewski. Munch had an affair with his friend's wife, which is what the imagery refers to. The lithograph relates to a similar painting by Munch of 1895, in which the nude female figure picks an apple from the tree behind her - a reference to the temptation of Adam by Eve. Munch was simultaneously attracted to, fearful of, and puzzled by women. These conflicting feelings are presented in his art: desire is tinged with pessimism, anxiety and melancholy.
Source: The National Galleries of ScotlandThis page was built by Yana Semenenko