|
Before his death in 1944, Edvard Munch bequeathed 1.100 paintings, 18.000 graphic prings and 3.000 drawings and watercolours to the City of Oslo. The scope of this legacy is as impressive as its quality. Echoes of The Scream shows a selection of it which gives a clear impression of Munch's draughtsmanship and graphic art, with which he experimented from 1894 until his death. The drawings and graphic works complete the picture of Munch the artist. Many are independent works of art in themselves, and are completely on a par with his most accomplished paintings. Others are studies which allow us to look over his shoulder. In the graphic works he further develops motifs he has already dealt with in paintings. And in many cases, they in turn affect his painting again. The nudes are loose sketches which cannot be situated in any clear development process, but are united by their spontaneous, informal nature. The formulas Munch develops for his painting are even more clearly apparent in the graphic works, because the resistance and demands of the material force him to adopt a discipline not required by painting. Graphic art calls for simplicity and concentration. Ultimately, this discipline also benefits his painting, in that here too he strives for a simplified language which is easy to understand. |
|
