Artwork
Desire
Desire 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, Desire is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. The work depicts an interior scene dominated by saturated reds, blues and yellows, where two women occupy a couch and its surrounding space. The composition is rendered with thick, expressive brushwork that emphasizes texture and emotional tension.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas presents a domestic setting in which one woman stands behind a couch while another, seated, leans her head against the upholstery. Both figures wear dark dresses, and a bottle lies on the floor near the furniture. The juxtaposition of posture and the intimate proximity suggest an undercurrent of yearning and psychological unease.
Technique & Style
Munch employs a post‑impressionist vocabulary, using bold color contrasts and vigorous, impasto strokes to convey mood rather than precise detail. The palette’s intense reds, blues and yellows create a vibrating surface, while the heavy application of paint adds a tactile quality that heightens the sense of inner turbulence.
History & Provenance
Desire belongs to the collection of the Munch Museum in Oslo. It was produced during a period when Munch was intensively exploring themes of emotion and mental states, a focus shaped by his early experiences of illness, personal loss, and his involvement with contemporary radical thinkers.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian:; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
