Who painted Painter by the Wall?

Painter by the Wall was painted by Edvard Munch in 1942.

Where can I see Painter by the Wall?

Painter by the Wall is held by Munch Museum.

What movement is Painter by the Wall?

Painter by the Wall is associated with Post-Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of Painter by the Wall?

Museum-quality prints of Painter by the Wall are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Painter by the Wall

Edvard Munch , 1942

Painter by the Wall is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1942 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The composition places the worker within a garden setting, focusing on the act of maintenance or renovation rather than a traditional artistic creation scene.

The painting depicts a painter and varnisher positioned on a ladder while working on a wall at Ekely. The composition places the worker within a garden setting, focusing on the act of maintenance or renovation rather than a traditional artistic creation scene. As a genre scene, the work captures a specific moment of labor involving the artist's own residence, with the ladder and wall serving as central visual elements. The imagery represents the intersection of domestic life and manual work in the artist's environment.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil on canvas in 1942, the work measures 90.5 cm in height and 68.5 cm in width.

The handling is fluid yet deliberate, with layered brushwork that modulates between thin, translucent passages and denser impasto near focal points such as the painter’s figure and the ladder. Subtle glazing contributes to the atmospheric depth of the garden setting. The composition is anchored by a central vertical axis formed by the painter and the ladder, while the wall and garden recede through atmospheric recession.

Stylistically, the scene blends narrative immediacy with Munch’s characteristic psychological intensity, conveyed through the solitary figure’s posture and the muted, earthy palette.

History & Provenance

The work was created in 1942 by Edvard Munch and is catalogued as an oil painting on canvas with dimensions of 90.5 cm in height and 68.5 cm in width.

It entered the collection of the Munch Museum, Oslo, where it remains held. The painting depicts a scene of a painter and varnisher at Ekely, focusing on a ladder, wall, and garden setting.

Painter by the Wall is an oil on canvas painting by Edvard Munch, created in 1942 and housed in the Munch Museum in Oslo under inventory number NG.M.01835. The work has been part of the museum’s permanent collection since its acquisition and was featured in the 2019 exhibition "Edvard Munch: The Modern Eye."

Overview

Created in 1942, Painter by the Wall is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. Executed during the later phase of his career, the work is held in the collection of the Munch Museum. It presents a modest interior‑exterior scene rendered with the bold color contrasts characteristic of Munch’s post‑impressionist period.

Context

By the early 1940s, Munch was revisiting ordinary domestic subjects, translating personal experience into broader psychological statements. Painter by the Wall aligns with his ongoing exploration of everyday labor as a conduit for emotional resonance, a theme that recurs throughout his oeuvre and reflects the artist’s lifelong preoccupation with human vulnerability.