Evening 1902

Edvard Munch made this print called "Evening," and it’s all about the stark contrast between light and dark, which, let’s be honest, is kind of how our brains work, right? There’s this heavy, dark mood, almost like a blanket, but then these flashes of light cut through. The way he scratches those lines into the surface, it’s like he’s not just showing us a scene, but also the feeling, the struggle of trying to see through the gloom. Notice that line that runs across the whole plate. That horizon that just keeps going? It’s so simple, but it divides the world. It reminds me of other artists who weren’t afraid to lay it all bare, like Käthe Kollwitz with her raw emotion. But Munch, he’s got this thing, this way of making you feel like you’re standing right there on that shore, with all the questions and none of the answers. Art's not about giving you the answers, it’s about letting you sit with the questions.