Portrait of Hans Jaeger III 1943 - 1944

Edvard Munch made this portrait of Hans Jaeger III using charcoal and pencil on paper. The marks feel very deliberate and yet have a fluid quality, as though Munch is trying to get something down very quickly. I wonder what it must have been like to sit for Munch, who was clearly interested in something that's not just likeness. What kind of relationship did they have? Maybe he was trying to capture Jaeger's personality, or even something deeper like a melancholic mood? There's such a strong sense of darkness in the figure's face and in the hat, which contrasts with the starkness of the white paper. The tension between these tones creates a feeling of unease and mystery. The sketch is like a dialogue between the artist and his subject, each influencing the other in a shared exploration of what it means to see and be seen.