Johan Martin and Sten Stenersen
- Original dimensions
- 66 x 78.5 cm
- Museum
- Munch Museum
- Year
- 1935
Scene depicted
In this pictorial work, Edvard Munch immortalizes the complicity and depth of the friendship between Johan Martin and Sten Stenersen. Through a subtle composition, he captures the very essence of their personalities, where each brushstroke divulges a story. The expression of the faces, intimately linked, tells a tragedy, a joy, or a shared memory, thus creating a moment suspended in time.
Historical context
Created in 1935 in the heart of Oslo, this painting is part of the wake of the expressionist movement, characteristic of the works of Edvard Munch . In this era eager for artistic challenges, the painting takes root in a city in full cultural effervescence, where the shadow of the great masters crosses the light of the avant-gardes. The painting is currently preserved at the Munch Museum, a true sanctuary of art, where visitors can appreciate its dimensions of 66 x 78.5 cm.
Place in the artist's career
Johan Martin and Sten Stenersen is situated at the crossroads of Edvard Munch 's artistic maturity. This painting is a culmination of a time when the artist fully expresses his inner emotions. Compared to his previous works, such as "The Scream" and "The Madonna", it reveals a stylistic evolution, a transition to paintings imbued with more softness and light.
Anecdote
"Art is the light that illuminates the dark truths of the soul." These words could perfectly suit Edvard Munch when he spoke of the genesis of this masterpiece . Imagine a day in April, the sweet song of birds accompanying his gaze, as he draws inspiration from human interactions in the alleys of Oslo. It is this blend of emotions and ruptures that this painting so delicately reveals.
Major exhibitions
Edvard Munch : portretter