Artwork
Paul Herrmann and Paul Contard
Paul Herrmann and Paul Contard is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1899 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
While the painting includes Paul Contard in its title, the available records specifically isolate Herrmann as the main figure portrayed.
The work is a portrait depicting Paul Herrmann, identified as the primary subject and represented as a man. While the painting includes Paul Contard in its title, the available records specifically isolate Herrmann as the main figure portrayed. Classified within the portrait genre, the image serves as a direct representation of the sitter rather than an allegorical scene.
The sources do not provide specific details regarding additional iconography, symbolic elements, or a deeper interpretive meaning beyond the straightforward depiction of the individual.
Technique & Style
Edvard Munch executed this 1897 portrait in oil paint on canvas, measuring 54 × 73 cm. The work belongs to the portrait genre and depicts Paul Herrmann alongside Paul Contard. As an painting from Munch's 1890s period, it reflects his engagement with contemporary figures and his developing portraiture practice during a decade marked by psychological intensity and formal experimentation.
History & Provenance
Edvard Munch created the oil-on-canvas portrait Paul Herrmann and Paul Contard in 1897. The work depicts Paul Herrmann and measures 54 cm in height by 73 cm in width. Historical records indicate that the painting was once owned by Walther Rathenau. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Belvedere in Vienna.
Context
Edvard Munch painted Paul Herrmann and Paul Contard in 1897, a portrait held by the Belvedere in Vienna that entered the collection of Walther Rathenau. The work was shown in the exhibition Edvard Munch: portretter and has been discussed in scholarship focusing on Munch's portraiture within his broader artistic output. It is classified as a painting and belongs to the portrait genre.
Overview
Created in 1899, this oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch portrays two seated figures, Paul Herrmann and Paul Contard. The composition is restrained, set against a muted backdrop of blues, grays and whites. Both sit in simple attire, a white shirt under a dark jacket for Herrmann, and a dark jacket for Contard, emphasizing their presence over decorative detail.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian:; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
