At Death's Bed
- Original dimensions
- 121.3 x 90.2 cm
Scene depicted
The painting depicts the moment of death, a scene filled with pain and contemplation. Rooted in an atmosphere of sadness, the pictorial work presents a bed, a dying figure, and loved ones, all gathered in tender melancholy. Munch succeeds in capturing the essence of this moment, where the passage between life and death becomes palpable, and where the viewer is invited to question their own existence.
Historical context
Œuvre : At Death's Bed |BRK| Artiste : Edvard Munch |BRK| Année : 1895 |BRK| Musée : Bergen Art Museum |BRK| Dimensions : 121.3 x 90.2 cm |BRK|
Place in the artist's career
At Death's Bed represents a crucial step in Munch's career, illustrating the maturity of his style. In parallel with The Scream and The Madonna, this canvas reveals the evolution of his approach to human suffering and emotion. It is here that Munch reaches a stylistic peak, making the intangible visible.
Anecdote
“Art must not only be a representation of the visible; it must touch the soul,” could have said Edvard Munch while contemplating his canvas . In the dim light of a winter morning, as snow covered the ground, the artist borrowed the melancholy of his surroundings to infuse At Death's Bed with a disturbing emotional intensity. It is in this place of silence that the inspiration for this masterpiece was born.