After "The Scream": The Late Paintings of Edvard Munch - Tapa dura

Expressing the anxieties of the late-19th century and the uncertainties of the modern world, Edvard Munch (1862-1944) often depicted in his works dangerously seductive "fin de siecle" women, sickly figures, and isolated characters in barren landscapes. These powerful, haunting paintings are widely recognized and revered, especially his iconic work "The Scream" (1893). Yet few admirers of Munch's early works realize that the artist lived well into the 20th century and was enormously productive almost to the time of his death. This volume, focusing on more than 60 of Munch's later paintings, aims to reveal the surprising, vibrant work of a fascinating man who never ceased to grow as an artist. Following decades of restless wandering among the capitals of Europe, Munch suffered a breakdown in Copenhagen in 1908 and retreated to his native Norway. In 1916 he purchased an estate near present-day Oslo where he lived and worked, mostly in his outdoor studio, for the next 20 years. Although Munch never abandoned a deeply introspective approach to image-making, in his later works he expressed a new attachment to the visible world, adopting a fresh range of subjects and a looser, brighter painting style. The pictures of this period - full of vivid colour, evocative atmospheres, and visual drama - are a revelation, casting new light on one of the most complex artists of the modern era.

Elizabeth Prelinger is Wright Family Distinguished Professor of Art History at Georgetown University. She is the author of The Symbolist Prints of Edvard Munch: The Vivian and David Campbell Collection (0 300 06952 9, [pound]45.00*), and Kathe Kollwitz (0 300 06168 4, pb. [pound]25.00*), both published by Yale University Press. Gudmund Vigtel is Director Emeritus of the High Museum of Art.