The main reaching for bottles
- Original dimensions
- 45 x 54 cm
- Museum
- Munch Museum
- Year
- 1938
Scene depicted
This pictorial work evokes a hand, outstretched, desperately seeking to reach bottles, a symbol of both aspiration and dependence. The scene conveys the internal struggle of man in the face of his desires and needs, treated with the familiarity of everyday life elevated by Munch's genius.
Historical context
Created in 1938, this painting is located in Oslo, Norway, at the heart of an expressionist artistic movement. Hand Reaching for Bottles emanates from a time when art sought to express the inner turmoil of the human soul. Currently, this canvas is preserved at the Munch Museum, which offers a rich journey through the work of this iconic artist.
Place in the artist's career
Hand Reaching for Bottles represents a significant milestone in Munch's career. It reflects a moment of artistic maturity, insidiously linking to his most famous painting, The Scream , while evolving emotionally in The Madonna . From these works, one senses a common syntax: the depth of feelings, the anxiety of existence.
Anecdote
“I have always believed that painting is a cry of the soul,” Munch is said to have declared, referring to the passion that drove him to translate emotions onto his canvases. Inspired by the shadows of a silent alley, he created this painting to capture the essence of desire and the human quest, a quest akin to what one feels when looking at the vibrant composition of Hand Reaching for Bottles .