Critique Of “Separation” By Edvard Munche

Edvard Munch was born on December 12, 1863 in Loten, Norway and died on January 23, 1944 in Oslo, Norway. Edvard Munch is known for being a celebrated and troubled artist who was egocentric with human ethicality. Edvard never married and referred to his paintings as his offspring. His artwork was cardinally shaped by the European culture from primitive 20th century. He absolutely hated to be divided from his paintings. His long successful career as a renowned artist was developed throughout his afflicted life now known as Expressionism. Edvard Munch quoted, “I do not believe in the art which is the compulsive result of man’s urge to open his heart. ” Edvard’s background of social, political and religious fixations were expressed through the works of extreme color, and puzzling themes. His family was middle-class that unfortunately suffered from a history of tragic health issues. The most painful milestone in Edvard’s world was the unanticipated death of his loving mother tragically from tuberculosis when he was only five years old. Following eight years later Edvard lost his sister from the exact thing his dear mother died from, Tuberculosis, he was only 13 years old. His father a physician agonized from extreme depression and was unable to be there for Edvard emotionally. The Munch family suffered from extreme trauma from the loss of their loved ones in result suffered from poverty. Edvard received very little discipline and showed a excitement for drawing at a very young age.

Edvard Munch was influenced by Paul Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh, Henri de Toulous- Lautrac, Arnold Bocklin and Christian Krohg. All of these accomplished artists were colossal to Edvard. Edvard Munch known for the single image is one of the most innovational symbols of modern art.

The Purpose of the Artist’s Work

Edvard Munches creativity as an infamous painter/artist of exemplary work derived from his childhood experiences and traumas of the loss of his mother and his family members, and his struggles at a very young age. His creativity is expressed through these struggles of anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder. Throughout these feelings and disorders he expressed artwork that emerged on his canvas and that were larger than life. Edvard Munch suffered from a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized around 1908. His artwork after his breakdown was still considered fascinating, through his movements that were fragmented and fluctuating, his colors were brighter and more buoyant. Edvard’s themes were more natural, calmer artwork that wasn’t as dark as his earlier artwork of visions of himself in Hell. In some such way throughout all the anguish, depression and deaths, struggles with psychological illness Edvard was driven and introduced and modernized personal evolution.

Edvard Munch was a Norwegian painter and printmaker whose psychological themes constructed 19th century Symbolism and shaped Expressionism in the primitive 20th century. Edvard Munch didn’t belong to any groups he never married and referred to his paintings as his children. He lived alone isolated outside of Oslo for the remaining 27 years of his natural born life. His life and career was surrounded by his work. His artwork used variations and was extremely reactionary. His artwork is reflected and transitioned between art movements throughout history. Edvard’s painting “Separation” 1896 brought out quite a few reactions and viewpoints. The man in this painting looks heartbroken and so unhappy and the woman in the background appears to be the reason. The reaction is heartbreaking. Is this the woman the subject that he loved and lost, did she pass away, could this be Edvard holding his broken heart not quite able to move forward from the losses of his mother and sister. There’s so many reactions that this painting exhibits.

The Artist Technique, Media(s) Used, Visual Elements Used

Edvard Munch used a variety of media in his expressionist movement that was related to isolation, sickness, fear and death. Edvard used thickened oil paints with beeswax, oiled crayons with beeswax, tempura, egg and casein pastels, paraffin wax crayons, gum bound paint, , linseed oil, petroleum based wax crayon and oil pastels as early as 1893, cadmium red as early as 1927-1929. Edvard Munch’s Separation exists of two factors, the objective in the front and the secondary in the backdrop. The man in this painting has a dark silhouette and contingent contours. The fair-skinned man’s head is slightly bent forward and his eyes are shut. He appears docile and withdrawn. The assertive use of the lithographic tool in the painting of the pitiful man in the front and a relaxed more delicate line is used for the woman in the background. The woman whose in the course of leaving the man her hair blows back to the man’s heartbroken chest, therefore he seems captured in the present granting him no freedom from his memory of her.

Edvard added shadows and a ambience of colors to his material in his painting, by doing this it expressed the magnitude of their feelings. Some of Edvard’s early work was done on tempura with forceful and violent strokes across the front to deliver a huge encounter with the audience. Edvard applied smooth lines, horizontal, vertical, diagonal and curved. His lines created a sense of movement throughout his art work. The significant colors make the lines look unmistakably abstracted. The in depth of sadness in the fair-skinned man’s overall appearance his hunched body, closed eyes and gripping at heart create a love and death metaphor.

Conclusion

Edvard Munch is still infamous today for his significant paintings and as the creator of the single image. His life was full of misfortunate events growing up as a child, he lost his mother and sister, but through it all the depression, anxiety and psychological disorder he didn’t lose his love to create some of the finest art work from experiences with themes that he based on love, hate, despair, jealousy and death. His painting “Separation” is heartbreaking, and tells a story of a man that has either lost his loved one or his loved on left him. He grips at his heart because he just can’t let go. Edvard Munch was so attached to each and every painting that replaced his affiliation with people. At the age of 80 Edvard Munch passed away from pneumonia. His contribution of art to the world saved him from psychological dissolution and his agonizing life. This incredible man/artist left a wonderful legacy to the world.