Artwork
Landscape from Kragerø
Landscape from Kragerø is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1912 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Landscape from Kragerø depicts a view of the Norwegian coastal town of Kragerø, rendered as a landscape painting.
Landscape from Kragerø depicts a view of the Norwegian coastal town of Kragerø, rendered as a landscape painting. The composition, as catalogued, includes natural elements such as trees and hills alongside man-made structures indicated by the presence of a roof, situating the work within the tradition of topographical landscape art that records a specific locale. By naming the town directly in the title, the painting functions as a visual record of Kragerø's terrain, blending organic and built features into a unified scenic view.
The work represents Edvard Munch's engagement with the Norwegian landscape, a recurring subject in his oeuvre, presenting the area's topography as the central focus rather than as a backdrop for narrative or symbolic content.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1912, Landscape from Kragerø is painted in oil on canvas, measuring 72.4 cm in height and 100.3 cm in width. The handling reflects Munch’s late-career synthesis of Symbolist mood and Post-Impressionist structure: broad, directional brushwork modulates across the surface to articulate rolling hills, a cluster of trees, and a rooftop, while a muted palette of ochres, greens, and blues sustains atmospheric unity. Thin, layered glazes in the sky give way to thicker impasto in the foliage, creating a tactile contrast that heightens the scene’s brooding luminosity.
The composition’s tilted horizon and rhythmic, undulating forms exemplify Munch’s stylistic tendency toward expressive distortion, subordinating naturalistic detail to emotional resonance.
History & Provenance
The painting Landscape from Kragerø was created by Edvard Munch in 1912, as indicated by both internal records and Wikidata documentation. The work is an oil-on-canvas landscape depicting scenes from Kragerø, Norway, aligning with Munch’s broader body of work from this period. By 2024, the painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains housed.
Its dimensions (72.4 cm × 100.3 cm) and genre classification as a landscape painting are consistent with the work’s documented attributes.
Edvard Munch's 1912 oil painting, Landscape from Kragerø, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, which depicts a landscape featuring trees, hills, and roofs from the Kragerø region, measures 72.4 by 100.3 centimeters. While the source confirms the painting's current location within the museum's collection, it does not provide a specific inventory or accession number for the piece.
Furthermore, the available documentation does not record a history of exhibitions for this specific artwork. The painting remains part of the museum's holdings as a landscape work created on canvas.
Legacy
Landscape from Kragerø (1912) exemplifies Munch’s later engagement with Norwegian terrain, merging Symbolist mood with naturalistic detail. The oil on canvas, measuring roughly 72 × 100 cm, is categorized as a landscape painting and is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, underscoring its acceptance within major institutional narratives of early modern art. Its depiction of a distinctive Kragerø hillside, roof, and surrounding trees has been referenced in scholarship as a representative instance of Munch’s mature landscape oeuvre, contributing to his enduring reputation as a pioneer of expressive landscape painting.
Overview
Painted in 1912, Landscape from Kragerø is an oil on canvas work by Edvard Munch depicting the coastal scenery of Kragerø, Norway, where the artist frequently stayed. The composition centers on a large, dark tree that anchors the foreground against a backdrop of rolling hills rendered in soft pinks, blues, and greens. A small house with a red roof appears in the distance, providing a focal point within the expansive natural setting.
Munch employs thick, visible brushstrokes, particularly on the tree and hills, creating a textured surface that emphasizes the materiality of the paint. While Munch is often associated with Expressionism and Symbolism, this work reflects his engagement with the Norwegian landscape tradition, blending observation with a distinct color palette. The bright, airy atmosphere contrasts with the darker, more introspective themes found in his earlier prints and paintings.
This piece illustrates Munch's continued exploration of nature as a subject throughout his career, demonstrating his ability to capture the specific light and mood of the Norwegian coast during the summer months.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian:; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
