Towards the Forest II 1915

Curator: Edvard Munch's "Towards the Forest II," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums, presents a compelling scene, printed on a sheet measuring roughly 60 by 80 centimeters. Editor: It’s haunting. That dense, textured forest presses in, doesn't it? And the figures are so intertwined, almost consumed by the landscape. Curator: Munch's printmaking often reflected his socio-political context; the anxieties of modern life, relationships, and the looming specter of societal change are ever-present. Note how the forest itself is almost a crowd of shadowy figures. Editor: Yes, the figures mimic the forest. I see a tension between the warm colors of the couple and the cool, dominating greens and blues that threaten to engulf them. Curator: That contrast could represent the individual's struggle against overwhelming social forces. Munch consistently explored these dynamics in his work. Editor: It’s a powerful, if unsettling, composition. The textures alone tell a story of unease. I keep coming back to the way that the forms almost disappear.