Art Appreciation – September/October 2024

In September Lynne gave a talk about the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944). His painting, The Scream, is one of the most famous images in art and, indeed, in popular culture. It has been much adapted by artists as varied as Andy Warhol and the team behind The Simpsons. A wider exploration of his life and work was overdue as his output was extremely varied and prolific.

It came as no surprise to learn that his early life was afflicted by sadness and bereavement. The impact on Edvard is clear in his art, especially portraits involving members of his family, especially one of his sisters who died young. Death, distress and isolation are themes which run through much of his work from an early age.

He was a very accomplished portraitist and established a considerable reputation during his own life time, much of which was spent in Germany. The Scream, painted in 1893, portrays the main character, with his hands over his ears and clearly distressed, with round, staring eyes emerging from a disturbing skull-like face. This image, repeated in many of his other paintings, is certainly troubling. Munch once said, ‘just as Leonardo da Vinci studied human anatomy and dissected corpses, so I try to dissect souls.’

Even when he painted groups of people, one of the main impressions he gives is of the isolation people can experience, even when surrounded by crowds. There is no doubt that this is something many recognise today.

His output was much more varied than many of us appreciate. There were many paintings of a waterfront scene he clearly knew well, many of which showed beautiful light effects of the moon on the water.

After treatment for a nervous breakdown, the character of his work changed significantly, becoming more calm and serene. Landscape became more important. His masterpiece from this period are the large-scale murals he painted in 1911 for the assembly hall of Oslo University, including the spectacular image of The Sun, representing the source of all life.

Those who struggle with questions in University Challenge would have been helped by Lynne’s presentation as the teams from Oxford and Cambridge colleges were shown Munch’s The Sun in that week’s episode! The Vick household felt very pleased with itself when we recognised it while none of the student contestants could name the artist. Yet another good reason to belong to our u3a Art Appreciation Group!

John Vick

For our next meeting on Tuesday 8th October, John plans to give a presentation on Socialist Realism in the Soviet Union. He hopes this will be ready in time but in case it is not, members will be invited to select a picture on the theme of ‘Costume’ or ‘Clothing’. These will be used on a future date if not required in October.

Lynne Vick