Man's Head in Woman's Hair 1896

Editor: This is Edvard Munch’s “Man’s Head in Woman’s Hair,” a haunting woodcut at the Harvard Art Museums. It feels so raw and emotionally charged. What do you see in it? Curator: The stark contrast in colors and the symbolic weight of the woman’s hair enveloping the man's head evokes a potent sense of entrapment, doesn’t it? Hair, across cultures, often signifies both allure and control. Editor: It definitely speaks to a complex relationship. I hadn't considered the hair as a symbol of control, though. Curator: Munch was fascinated by the psychological depths of human relationships; do you think he saw love as a form of confinement? Editor: I can definitely see that interpretation now. Thank you. Curator: It is through such visual metaphors that art reveals the layers of cultural memory.