Towards the Forest I 1897

Curator: Edvard Munch's "Towards the Forest I," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums, presents an evocative encounter. Editor: It feels intensely private, almost clandestine. The heavy shadows amplify the vulnerability of the figures. Curator: Munch, who lived from 1863 to 1944, explored themes of love, anxiety, and death. What symbols do you see reflected here? Editor: The forest, of course, a place of both refuge and danger. The embrace suggests a primal connection. It almost feels like they are merging into a single form. The title suggests transformation, a journey to somewhere new. Curator: And in its own way, this journey is also about the human condition and its place in society at large. Editor: Indeed, a poignant reflection on our deepest selves.