Munch

From childhood, the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) was faced with tragedy. The early death of his mother was soon followed by that of his young sister, his brother also dying prematurely. These traumatic events deeply marked him, forming the core of his existential angst. Art would give him a means of exteriorising his tragic view of life, his frustrations and sufferings, as well as his sense of rebellion.
Munch's drawings are the basis of his whole art. He drew constantly and almost everywhere, whether in his studio or during journeys, in cafés and at the theatre. Family and friends, as well as children, workers, upright citizens and bohemians, mermaids and madonnas - nothing escaped his enthusiasm. His resulting oeuvre is highly emotional, focusing on the human being and its existential problems. The exceptional intensity and expressive power of his works undoubtedly make Munch one of the chief precursors of expressionism.
This publication seeks to present the history of Munch's life and works through more than eighty drawings. The different phases of his artistic creation are thus brought to life, linked by the common thread of his favoured themes - the family, sickness and death, angst, love and the workers.