The Big Codfish 

Edvard Munch made this print, "The Big Codfish", at an unknown date with etching on paper. In it, we see a nude woman seated on a beach, facing a gigantic codfish. In the background there is a small sailing boat, and in the foreground are some tufts of grass and small rocks. How might we interpret this strange scene? Munch was Norwegian, and Norway has long been a seafaring nation, with fishing a major industry. Fish—particularly cod—have therefore been central to the nation’s economy and cultural identity. Is Munch commenting on the relationship between humanity and nature, between the individual and their society? Perhaps this is a personal comment, but perhaps, too, it is a political one. As art historians, we can research the history of Norway and its fishing industry, the place of the fishing industry in Norwegian national identity and how these themes were discussed in the art of Munch's time.