Artwork
Death and the Child
Death and the Child is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1900 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1900, Death and the Child is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. The work belongs to the collection of the Munch Museum and exemplifies the painter’s turn toward expressing inner emotions through visual means.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas presents a dimly lit interior where a young girl in a red dress clutches her head beside a bed, while a group of somber figures stands near a doorway. The composition conveys a mood of grief and anxiety, suggesting a scene of mourning and the child's distress in the presence of death.
Technique & Style
Munch employs strong chiaroscuro, allowing stark contrasts between illuminated areas and deep shadows to heighten the emotional tension. The brushwork and color palette reflect his post‑Impressionist phase, focusing less on realistic detail and more on the psychological atmosphere of the moment.
History & Provenance
After completing the painting, Munch retained the work within his personal holdings before it entered the Munch Museum’s permanent collection. The piece has remained in the museum, providing insight into the artist’s early 20th‑century output.
Context
Munch’s formative years were marked by frequent illness and the early loss of family members, experiences that informed his preoccupation with mortality. His education at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania and his association with radical thinker Hans Jæger contributed to the introspective, often somber tone evident in this work.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian:; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
