Stormy Night 1908 - 1909

This woodcut, Stormy Night, by Edvard Munch, probably made in the late 1890's, uses the stark contrast of black and white to capture a scene that's less about the literal storm and more about the storm inside. The marks are raw, almost violently carved into the wood, giving a sense of urgency and unease. Look at how the black ink isn't just a color; it's a mood. It’s the heavy darkness pressing down on the buildings and the lone figure, who seems almost swallowed by the night. Munch isn’t just showing us a storm; he’s inviting us to feel it, too. Notice the scratches in the sky—they're not just clouds, they're like emotional fissures. And that figure, all alone, face buried in their hands. I think of Käthe Kollwitz, another printmaker who knew how to use black and white to convey the weight of human suffering. Munch leaves us with questions, not answers, about what it means to be human.