The Bite 1914

Edvard Munch made this etching, 'The Bite', with ink on paper. Look at the frenetic energy of those marks, almost like scratches, that build up the image. It’s as if Munch attacked the plate with a needle, each jab a moment of intense feeling. The stark contrast between light and shadow gives the piece its drama. See how the figures emerge from a blurry, undefined space, emphasizing the raw physicality of the scene? There is a real contrast of textures created by the density of lines. Notice the hair of the female figure, drawn with a series of dark, swirling lines, almost like he is pulling the form from the darkness? The darkness seems to be devouring her. Munch's work is all about these kinds of dark, psychological landscapes, so I think this piece fits perfectly within that. It really makes me think of Paula Rego, who also explores intense and uncomfortable psychological dramas with equally powerful intensity. Ultimately, the true meaning of art remains gloriously and deliberately unclear.