Model near the wicker chair
- Original dimensions
- 100 x 122.5 cm
- Museum
- Munch Museum
- Year
- 1919
Scene depicted
In this canvas , Munch depicts a delicate creature, lost in silent contemplation, near a wicker chair. The model, alive, seems to capture a suspended moment, an ephemeral thought. The soft light filtering through a sun-drenched window creates a dreamlike atmosphere of reflection, where each shadow tells a story, a secret shared between the artist and his subject.
Historical context
Created in the heart of Oslo, this painting is iconic, born in 1919, a fiery period of modernism. Edvard Munch , a leading figure of expressionism , embodies through this canvas a fascinating introspection of the human soul. The painting is currently housed in the Munch Museum, where it continues to nourish the imagination of visitors, like an artistic beacon of a tumultuous era.
Place in the artist's career
“Model by the Wicker Chair” stands out as a milestone in Munch's career. Subsequent to his major works like “The Scream” and “The Madonna,” this painting represents a stylistic maturation. Through works such as “The Dance of Life,” we observe a transition towards an even deeper sensitivity, where light and shadow blend to express complex emotions.
Anecdote
Edvard Munch once declared: “The painting is the expression of my inner life.” Imagine him, a young artist, awakened by the golden rays of spring, capturing a fleeting moment in his studio. It is this thrill, this encounter, that infuses an emotional intensity into the painting “Model by the Wicker Chair,” shimmering with life and melancholy.
Major exhibitions
Munch og Ekely: 1916-1944