Edvard Munch

Edvard Munch offers a thought-provoking exploration of Edvard Munch’s often neglected pictures of nature, delving into the Norwegian artist’s landscapes, seascapes, and existential environments within the context of both his own time and ours.

This richly illustrated catalogue provides a multifaceted perspective on the pictures of nature and landscape by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863–1944). Despite being a major motif in Munch's oeuvre, this topic has been largely overlooked in scholarly work. This volume is the first to explore the theme in its full breadth across Munch’s corpus, including his paintings, lithographs, watercolours, and woodcuts.

Munch's depictions of forests, farmland, and the seashore, as well as paintings of sea storms, snow, and other extreme weather, bring nature to life with undulating forms. These works often celebrate human interaction with nature in its many manifestations and showcase Munch’s preference for liminal spaces where transformations occur. The book also considers Munch’s less conventional landscapes, particularly those featuring his famous Scream motif, which depict nature in an existential light. This suggests that Munch held a deep concern for nature’s destruction by humans—a concern that remains highly relevant today.

In addition to the visual analysis, the book examines Munch’s writings as primary sources, illustrating how he combined a scientific perspective on nature with metaphysical and spiritual notions of rebirth that permeate his other works.

Distributed for MUNCH

Exhibition Schedule:

Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA
(June 10–October 15, 2023)

Museum Barberini, Potsdam
(November 18, 2023–April 1, 2024)

Munch Museum, Oslo
(April 27–August 24, 2024)