Children in the Street
- Original dimensions
- 100 x 92 cm
- Museum
- Munch Museum
- Year
- 1910
Scene depicted
In Children in the Street , Munch depicts a vibrant scene where children, symbols of innocence and hope, navigate the urban space. The faces of a group of children illuminate this canvas, while the background fades, highlighting the dynamic between innocence and the rhythm of city life. The colors and shapes begin to converse, revealing complex emotions engendered by this contrasting thought.
Historical context
Created in 1910, during a time when Munch established himself as an essential figure of the expressionist movement, Children in the Street captures a scene from the city of Oslo, Norway. This canvas is emblematic and resonates with the echoes of a society in full transformation, facing the upheavals of industrialization. Currently exhibited at the Munch Museum, this painting is a precious testimony of this period of cultural transition.
Place in the artist's career
Children in the Street positions itself at a crucial turning point in Munch's career, a period when his style strengthens. Alongside his famous paintings such as The Scream and The Madonna , this painting illustrates a technical evolution marked by the intensity of colors and the fusion between raw emotion and visual representation.
Anecdote
“Beauty lies in the revealed pain,” Munch might have said while contemplating this painting . Inspired by a morning walk in a bustling alley, he manages to transcribe the effervescence of children, while enveloping the scene in palpable melancholy. This moment felt in the heart of the city gave birth to this fascinating pictorial work .
Major exhibitions
Edvard Munch . Monumental projects