.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
In 1912 Munch's position as a radical, avant-garde colourist was secured when he was invited by the organisers of the Cologne "Sonderbundaustellung" to exhibite ? pictures at their show. The exhibition remains the most important single show of Expressionist paintings ever staged and Munch, who was given his own room in recognition of his contribution to the avant-garde movement in Europe was signalled as the father-figure of 20th Century expressive classism.
With its loose dynamic brushwork the present painting relates very closely to the Morizburg paintings of S. Rottluff and his Brücke contemporaries. Within it, however, runs a strand of classicism which signals Munch's basic differences to the radical young turks of Die Brücke. Technically and compositionally the present work has the control and mannerisms of Cézanne's L'Estaque paintings (Fig. 1).
Like many works executed in Kragerøo where Munch was at his happiest, the present painting was not sold by Munch until 1932 when it was acquired by the Norwegian ship-owner, Leif Hoegh. Aside from a single exhibition at the Zurich Kunsthaus in 1932, when it was presumably lent by the artist, the painting was not shown publicly for over sixty years.
With its loose dynamic brushwork the present painting relates very closely to the Morizburg paintings of S. Rottluff and his Brücke contemporaries. Within it, however, runs a strand of classicism which signals Munch's basic differences to the radical young turks of Die Brücke. Technically and compositionally the present work has the control and mannerisms of Cézanne's L'Estaque paintings (Fig. 1).
Like many works executed in Kragerøo where Munch was at his happiest, the present painting was not sold by Munch until 1932 when it was acquired by the Norwegian ship-owner, Leif Hoegh. Aside from a single exhibition at the Zurich Kunsthaus in 1932, when it was presumably lent by the artist, the painting was not shown publicly for over sixty years.