MELANCHOLY MAN

Original works: Edvard Munch

21cm x 17cm

The inspiration for the painting was an unhappy romantic affair that Munch's friend, Jappe Nilssen, was involved in. In Munch's painting the figure of the melancholy man is at the right, and his mood is represented by the undulating shoreline and skylines that extend toward the left.

The landscape represents Asgardstrand's beach where Munch spent his summers from 1889.

As his fame and wealth grew, his emotional state remained insecure. He briefly considered marriage, but could not commit himself. A breakdown in 1908 forced him to give up heavy drinking, and he was cheered by his increasing acceptance by the people of Kristiania and exposure in the city’s museums. His later years were spent working in peace and privacy. Although his works were banned in Nazi Germany, most of them survived World War II, ensuring him a secure legacy.

Munch was plagued with tragedy from his early childhood. He lost is mother then a sister then another one of his siblings was committed to a sanitarium. His father was not a supporter of his pursuit of art. There must of been an ever-present feeling of complete despair, anxiety and fear of loss in Edvard's life and you can see this comes through in his work. As is often the case, huge emotional turmoil often leads to the most arresting art. We celebrate the work of Edvard Munch a few times in our cult art series.

Munch's art was highly personalized and he did little teaching. His "private" symbolism was far more personal than that of other Symbolist painters such as Gustave Moreau and James Ensor. Munch was still highly influential, particularly with the German Expressionists, who followed his philosophy, "I do not believe in the art which is not the compulsive result of Man's urge to open his heart." Many of his paintings, including The Scream, have universal appeal in addition to their highly personal meaning.

Munch's works are now represented in numerous major museums and galleries in Norway and abroad. His cabin, "the Happy House", was given to the municipality of Åsgårdstrand in 1944; it serves as a small Munch Museum. The inventory has been maintained exactly as he left it.

This fine art print has been re-worked and re-published using museum grade paper and archival inks.

Curated and remastered by Pineapple Gallery’s art director Esther D’Amico, CULT is an exclusive collection of fine art prints that bridges classic art history and contemporary living. Explore CULT.

Prints are made to order and ship Australia-wide, tracked, in sturdy packaging. We can’t accept change-of-mind returns on made-to-order prints, but anything that arrives faulty is refunded. Returns policy.