Breakthrough as a graphic artist 1902-1903

Towards the end of 1901 Munch decided to return to Berlin, with the clear aim of making a name for himself as an artist. This was largely successful, thanks to the excellent, new contacts he made. The art collector Max Linde was one of those who discovered Munch in 1902, and through Albert Kollmann in the autumn of 1902 he purchased an almost complete collection of Munch's intaglio prints and lithographs, and also ordered a graphic portfolio containing portraits of members of the family and their property in Lübeck. Gustav Schiefler saw Linde's collection of prints, and was so impressed that a short time later he decided to produce a complete catalogue of Munch's graphic work. Several exhibitions and increased sales also led to interest from art dealers keen to sell Munch's work, and in 1904 he signed a three-year contract with Cassirer on the sole right to all sales of graphic art in Germany. Although this contract caused Munch great resentment and brought in little income, it can be seen as a clear sign that he was now a graphic artist to be reckoned with. Schiefier's catalogue came out in 1907, and instantly became the standard work on Munch's graphic art - as it still is today.

The increased interest from 1902 onwards also led to an increased need for prints. Munch was not particularely productive in terms of new prints from 1902 onwards, but he did reprint many of his previous motifs - generally in large editions. After this point the intaglio prints were almost solely printed by Felsing, who was expensive but had become considered the leading workshop for intaglio prints. Felsing's print shop had a passion for ink with a warm brown tone and often printed on paper which also had a distinct yellow tone. This contrasts with Munch's previous intaglio prints which tended to be printed in clearer black and white or off-white paper. The lithographs and woodcuts were almost without exception printed by Lassally in Berlin, and in 1904 Munch had all his lithographic stones sent from Paris to Lassally. Greater popularity and an improved financial situation meant that he could order frequent editions of his most popular prints and print them on large sheets of high-quality paper.

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