Field in Snow 1907

Edvard Munch's "Field in Snow" is an oil painting, and in this example, we can particularly appreciate the materiality of that medium. Munch applied the paint with energetic strokes, and this direct engagement makes us think about the physical act of painting. Notice how the colours are not blended, but laid down in parallel tracks across the canvas. This must have required careful control, and we get a sense of Munch working quickly to capture the scene, before the light changed, or the snow melted. The directness of touch allowed Munch to explore the effects of light on snow, imbuing it with a spectrum of colours that speak to the transience of the scene. In some ways, "Field in Snow" is less about representation, and more about the artist's encounter with the landscape. By attending to the techniques and materials of painting, we begin to understand how the artist's actions have charged this artwork with personal expression.