Inevitably we left the museum with a mixed feeling of fascination on the one hand and sadness on the other. All the details we learned about his personal and professional life are so fiercely bitter. I had read his bio and yet today I was struck more than ever by the depth of his sorrow. (My previous Munch story is here)
Acceptance from Norway came "too late" as he said it himself. (But at least he did enjoy recognition at home in the two decades before he died).
It is interesting to note that from all the happy paintings of Norwegian landscapes and everyday life one finds in the Norway´s National Gallery, it was the tormented, emotional, expressive Norwegian artist that became this country´s most famous painter. His inner turmoil seems to have produced the kind of visual history that resonates with past, present and future generations, inside and outside Norway.
I found it interesting to think about how ultra-conservative, judgemental Norwegian society was when Munch was alive (1863-1944). He was the victim of his own people. If only he knew how much Norway would improve for the better in the years after his departure!
The museum is here munch.museum.no
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| Vampire, 1893-94 |
Check out the Google Art Project with Munch´s paintings
googleartproject.com/artist/edvard-munch
