Although Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863–1944) attained notoriety early in his career for his haunting depictions of human anxiety and alienation that reflected modern experience, he believed that his artistic breakthrough occurred much later in life, beginning at age 50. Throughout his career, Munch regularly revisited subjects from his earlier years, exploring them with renewed inspiration and intensity over time. Self-Portrait: Between the Clock and the Bed (1940–43)—with its themes of desire, mortality, isolation, and angst—was one of the final such works and it serves as a lens through which Munch's oeuvre can be reassessed.
This exhibition will feature approximately 45 of the artist's landmark compositions created over a span of six decades, including 16 self-portraits and works that have never before been seen in the United States. More than half of the works on view were part of Munch's personal collection and remained with him throughout his life.
