Today we will talk about the Norwegian painter and graphic artist, art theorist and theater artist Edward Munch. He is considered a representative of expressionism, and one of the first. His work has a great influence on contemporaries to this day. His paintings abound with themes of loneliness and death, as well as a thirst for life. This man created unique exciting paintings that literally dragged the viewer into a different, strange and terrible world. E. Munch is a real talent and master of his craft. He painted only when feelings and emotions overwhelmed him: after all, real creators create masterpieces in this state.
Childhood
The artist Edward Munch, whose birth date falls on 1863, was born in a large family. His father, Christian, was a military doctor. Munch had an older sister, Johanna Sophia, brother Andreas and two younger sisters, Laura and Inger. The family lived quite modestly, one might even say poorly. But Munch were educated and cultured people, so they persistently endured their temporary position. Their cultural roots were quite deep: a distant relative was a famous neoclassical artist, a student of Jacques-Louis David himself. Christian Munch's father was a preacher, whom many knew and loved, and his brother, Peter Andreas Munch, was an excellent historian.
Throughout Edward's childhood, his family often moved from place to place. This was due to the duty of the father, and also because the lack of funds regularly forced the family to look for cheaper housing. Most often, the family was in Christiania, Norway (now Oslo). Biography of Edward Munch from childhood has dark spots: at 5 years old, he lost his mother, who died of tuberculosis. And exactly 10 years later, Sophie's older sister died from the same disease. In his memoirs, E. Munk said that his father was always kind, but his religiosity, which went beyond the boundaries of common sense, was a big minus. Little Edward was often tormented by terrible visions of hell, because of this he grew up as a rather anxious child. Much later, relatives recalled that the boy had a talent for drawing at a very young age.
As mentioned earlier, Edward's sister, Sophie, died of tuberculosis. This was another blow for him, as they were very close. Many researchers of the life and work of the painter say that this was a turning point in disappointment in religion. The Norwegian artist Edward Munch himself recalled that on that day, his father restlessly rushed around the room, clasped his hands in prayer, but could not help the poor girl in any way. In the future, these memories formed the basis of the painting "Sick Girl".
Becoming
The biography of Edward Munch goes on for years. He enters a technical college, where he perfectly studies exact sciences. The guy is often sick, but tries not to miss classes. Soon, the young man makes an independent decision to leave college to become an artist. In 1881 he entered the Royal School of Drawing in Christiania. His mentor is naturalist artist Christian Krog. He quickly introduced the young man to the bohemian capital. Thanks to Christian Kroeg, Edward meets an anarchist writer Hans Jäger. They quickly found a common language, and Munk often felt the influence of this man. In 1883, Edward made his public debut - he presented the painting "Study of the Head." At the end of next year, he received a scholarship, which he went to France. In 1886, Munch presented his painting "Sick Girl", critics took it very negatively. Rejection embarrassed Munch, and his next paintings were conservative.
Paris
Munch's paintings still participated in exhibitions. And the artist himself, after a short break, went to France. Here I attended the lessons of Leon Bonn, went to exhibitions. He experimented a lot with artistic styles, especially often tried impressionism and pointillism. Edward soon learns of his father's death, and this news inflicts a severe blow to him. He does not have time for the funeral and falls into a long depression. Edward Munch, whose work was going through stagnation, came out of depression and created one of the most famous paintings - "Night in Saint Cloud."
"The frieze of life"
In 1890, the biography of Edward Munch is a little brighter: in Christiania, an exhibition of his paintings is held, where he receives more friendly responses. Soon he goes to rest in Nice, and sees here the paintings of Van Gogh and Gauguin, which he will admire a little later. At this time, Munch's style was finally formed - clear lines, symbolic stories and simple forms. Returning to Norway, he paints "Melancholy" and "Frieze of Life." The famous Scream will soon grow out of the last picture. After some time, he met with A. Norman, who was delighted with the work of Edward. A wealthy patron organizes Munch personal exhibitions in Berlin. The artist’s paintings receive many positive reviews; for the first time, he feels real recognition. At this time, Munch began an affair with a rich Norwegian, who did not end with anything other than psychological trauma.
Disease
Due to the nervous affair, Munk begins to feel amiss, but does not attach much importance to this. Soon, he began another relationship with the cellist. But this novel ends with a difficult breakup due to Munch's strange behavior. He is increasingly aggressive and suspicious. A growing number of people notice that Edward becomes quick-tempered and begs for quarrels. In 1908 he was placed in a psychiatric hospital in Copenhagen with a diagnosis of mental disorder. He spends six months there, actively engaged in creativity.
Later years
Edward Munch, interesting facts about which are not so numerous, can still tell something. So, he was often tormented by hallucinations, which he described in his diary. It is also believed that he was afraid of red-haired women. In recent years, his paintings have acquired more rude features, but more peaceful subjects. In 1916 he bought a villa, where he is engaged in gardening. Two years later he became ill with a “Spanish woman,” but he quickly recovered. In 1930, he had vision problems, which is why he almost stopped writing. When Norway was occupied, Munch was called a "truly Nordic" artist. Soon the Nazis' attitude towards Edward changed and he was branded. In recent years, he has lived with fear that his paintings will be confiscated from his own home. The artist died in 1944, a month after the 80th anniversary.
Scream
Edward Munch is an impressionist who gained immense popularity thanks to his painting “Scream”. In total there are 4 versions of it, which were written in the period 1893-1910. Initially, the author called it “Despair”. A man in horror in the picture quickly became one of the most recognizable characters in art. One version of the painting is in the hands of an independent collector. Selling paintings at auction made Scream the most expensive work of art.
Theft of paintings
The biography of Edward Munch continues today, because in his paintings he is himself. His works of art very often became the subject of the division of intruders. In 1994, his famous painting "Scream" from the National Gallery was stolen. The criminals thought of theft poorly, so after a couple of months the picture was returned. Also committed the theft of Munch's painting "The Vampire". True, law enforcement authorities managed to conduct a successful investigation, thanks to which the "Vampire" was found. In 2004, a group of thieves removed from the Munch Museum variations of the paintings "Madonna" and "Scream." In 2006, they were returned to the Museum, and the attackers received their punishment. In this case, both paintings were damaged. After the canvases returned to the Museum, scratches, traces of moisture, abrasion and tattered edges were found on them. The restorers did everything they could, but some spots remained visible.