Emma Hill: Munch, much more than 'The Scream!'

Saturday, 28 August 2010

Munch, much more than 'The Scream!'

The Scream

Edvard Munch, 1817 - 1889, is most famous for his painting, 'The Scream' of which he did four versions of. This one is on cardboard. I can't help but think that at the time it was no more than a 10 minute sketch. It seems strange as there are so many other paintings that are amazing and yet don't get a look in. I have added a few below. I have chosen to add the paintings that I saw at the museum instead of photos taken from a book. The images are therefore not as good as many have refection's within the glass- as is very obvious in the picture above. I have chosen to use these images as they feel like a dialogue - By Munch's thoughts and emotions portrayed within the subjects of a painting, and me - in my reflection, to my thoughts and childhood memories. In a later post I will take images from a book: The Frieze of Life , Love - Angst - Death.

I often went to the Munch museum as a child. I was struck by Munch's emotion, by the flow of brush strokes and his use of colour. I was and still am fascinated by the sunken deep eyes that look like hard lumps of coal that enhance the pain that lies within a painting. He paints faces and bodies that are pulled and drawn out. In doing so he emphasises a play of raw emotion, in pain, guilt, jealousy, love etc that becomes echoed within the subject's surroundings.