Artwork
Consolation
Consolation is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1907 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1907, Consolation is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. Executed during a period when Munch was probing inner emotional landscapes, the work now belongs to the collection of the Munch Museum in Oslo.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas presents two seated figures in close proximity: one clothed in a yellow shirt, the other nude, with the clothed figure’s arm resting on the other's shoulder. The intimate pose suggests a moment of comfort or shared solace, aligning with the title’s implication of emotional support.
Technique & Style
Munch employs a muted palette dominated by greens and yellows, applying visible brushwork that adds a tactile surface to the composition. The handling of paint reflects his post‑Impressionist phase, where expressive color and gestural strokes convey psychological nuance rather than strict realism.
History & Provenance
The painting emerged after Munch’s studies at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania and his association with the radical thinker Hans Jæger, whose ideas encouraged personal introspection. Since its creation, Consolation has remained within the Munch Museum’s holdings, where it is displayed as part of the artist’s broader oeuvre.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian:; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
