Moonlight I-II (Måneskinn I-II) c. 1896 - 1913

Curator: Edvard Munch created this evocative print titled "Moonlight I-II" sometime between 1896 and 1913, using coloured pencils and other techniques to build up layers of atmosphere. What's your first impression? Editor: The overall effect is claustrophobic. I feel boxed in by the vertical lines. The limited palette heightens that feeling, like a monochromatic prison of blues, browns, and muted greens. Curator: Interesting. Considering Munch’s background, this confinement might echo his lifelong struggles with mental health. He repeatedly returned to themes of isolation and anxiety in his art, fueled partly by personal trauma and the cultural currents of his time. Editor: I agree; it feels very personal, like an intimate glimpse into a private world. Notice how the lines converge on the woman's face, drawing our focus to her somewhat vacant expression. The light from the window creates an otherworldly illumination, a stark contrast against the darkness. Curator: That interplay between light and shadow, or revelation and concealment, is quintessential Symbolism. Many saw their anxieties about modernity reflected back at them, influencing the period and our own times, as seen through mass media. Editor: I see the window almost as another portrait on the wall with an unnatural glowing light coming in from it. Is it night? Or some other state of mind? And is that figure another person standing next to the main one? The superimposition adds to the surrealism. Curator: Yes! He layered his art, not only using his graphic skills with colour, but with thematic content for all his art consuming public in various nations. As well as through exhibitions and public lectures he built a cult following. Editor: The work achieves a hauntingly vulnerable aura through a blend of expressive brushwork and subtle tonal variations. The artist shows us a study of inner turmoil. Curator: Ultimately, “Moonlight I-II” demonstrates Munch’s astute awareness of both art history and contemporary visual trends, enabling his vision to speak across time and borders. Editor: I can appreciate the power and the raw vulnerability on display, but I still leave feeling the need for fresh air, maybe some sun light.