Coastal Landscape 1918

Edvard Munch made this painting of a coastal landscape, probably from life, with oil on canvas. You can really see Munch working here. The marks are so present, not trying to trick you into believing in a perfect illusion, but rather allowing the painting to live as a painting first. Look at the way the blues and greens squiggle and drag in the foreground. They are thick, almost sculptural, really giving you a sense of the cool, damp earth, while the white of the water above is flatter, reflecting the pale sky. The brushwork is so expressive, each stroke a record of Munch's engagement with the scene, the wind, the light. It reminds me a little of some of Van Gogh’s landscapes, that same commitment to recording an emotional experience through observation, rather than just documenting a view. Ultimately, paintings like this remind us that art isn't about answers. It’s more about keeping the conversation going.