Kiss 1897

Edvard Munch painted 'Kiss' using oil on canvas; although undated, it reflects his work from the late 1890s. Munch's expressive brushwork is evident, each stroke laden with emotion. The canvas is heavily worked with visible marks, and the layering of oil paint adds depth and texture. See how these build up, obscuring the figures as much as they define them. The physical act of applying the paint becomes as important as the image itself. While trained in the tradition of fine art, Munch was more concerned with conveying inner states of feeling than with technical mastery. In this regard, he stands apart from academic painting, aligning himself with the modernist ethos of raw expression, and the psychological intensity of the work invites us to consider the labor of emotional experience. It is an image born not just of vision, but of strenuous feeling.