Artwork
History: Study for the Boy
History: Study for the Boy is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1914 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1914, History: Study for the Boy is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. Executed within the post‑impressionist idiom, the work is catalogued as a history painting and is part of the permanent collection of the Munch Museum in Oslo.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas depicts a young boy dressed in a white shirt and dark trousers, his hands tucked into his pockets. He gazes forward with a solemn expression, his posture suggesting contemplation or inner reflection, a motif that resonates with Munch’s broader interest in psychological states.
Technique & Style
Munch employs a varied brushwork that builds texture across the figure and the surrounding space. The background blends light and dark tonalities, creating a subtle atmospheric contrast that enhances the sense of depth while maintaining the flatness characteristic of post‑impressionist surface treatment.
History & Provenance
The painting was produced during a prolific period for Munch, shortly after his formative studies at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania. It entered the Munch Museum’s collection, where it remains accessible for study and exhibition, reflecting the artist’s enduring legacy within Norwegian art history.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian:; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
