Artwork
Music on Karl Johan
Music on Karl Johan is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1895 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a moment of urban activity and public celebration, reflecting themes of community and movement within the city.
The painting depicts a marching band moving along Karl Johans gate in Oslo, with figures of people and buildings forming a cityscape. The composition captures a moment of urban activity and public celebration, reflecting themes of community and movement within the city.
The representation includes a street parade with instruments, suggesting a festive or ceremonial context within the urban environment.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 101.5 cm in height by 140.5 cm in width. It portrays a marching band, a crowd of figures, and Karl Johans Gate with its surrounding buildings, rendered in a cityscape composition. The formal treatment emphasizes the rhythmic movement of the procession through layered brushwork and tonal contrast, while the stylistic approach aligns with late 19th-century urban scenes.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1889, Music on Karl Johan depicts a marching band on Oslo’s Karl Johans gate and entered the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich shortly after its creation.
The work remained in Zurich until at least the mid-twentieth century, when it was documented as part of the museum’s holdings. By the time of the Wikidata record, it was still held by the Kunsthaus Zürich, where it is listed with dimensions of 101.5 cm by 140.5 cm.
Overview
Music on Karl Johan is a 1895 oil painting by Edvard Munch, a Norwegian artist known for exploring emotional and psychological themes.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian:; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
