Tiergarten 

Edvard Munch created this etching, Tiergarten. The image is reminiscent of Munch’s own childhood experiences of illness, loss and death. Set in what appears to be a park, the figures seem burdened, perhaps by their gender and class. Their clothes look heavy and restrictive. The woman on the left stands with her arms crossed. She seems to be on guard but also weary. The woman on the right looks directly outwards. With what looks like a walking stick in her hand, her expression is haunting, like she has witnessed too much. Above the seated figure we see what looks like a shrouded ghostlike form hanging above. Is this an omen? Munch’s art often reflects the emotional and psychological struggles that are universal to human experience. His focus on representing inner emotional states and the darker aspects of human nature, can connect us to feelings of vulnerability, anxiety, and alienation that resonate today.