Naked Figures 1924 - 1929

Edvard Munch made this painting, Naked Figures, using thin washes of paint on paper. The marks are so provisional, so like a quick sketch, that the painting feels like it’s still in the middle of becoming something else. There’s a beautiful blue outline around the figures, setting them apart from the ochre ground. The skin tones are pale pinks and oranges, applied so thinly you can see the paper underneath. I love the way you can see the artist feeling their way around the image, trying to find the right position for the figures. Look at the way the blue line trails off down the right hand side – it reminds me of a Cy Twombly. This is art as a process, a way of thinking through making, a space of constant searching.