Edvard Munch: Masterpieces from Bergen

This show at the Courtauld Gallery in London (27 May–5 September) comprises 18 paintings by Edvard Munch from the holdings of KODE in Bergen. Originally assembled by the industrialist Rasmus Meyer (1858–1916), one of the first collectors of Munch’s art, the collection is shown here for the first time outside Norway. Paintings from Munch’s early realist period such as Morning (1884) and Inger in the Sunshine (1888) reveal the artist’s early use of a brighter, more naturalistic palette, while the pivotal work Summer Night (1889) demonstrates the artist’s shift towards the darker subject matter which characterised his later paintings. The display of works from Munch’s famous Frieze of Life series provides ample examples of the artist’s interest in psychologically charged subjects, with haunting works such as Evening on Karl Johan (1892) and Melancholy (c. 1894–6) reflecting the artist’s fascination with the human psyche. Find out more on the Courtauld Gallery’s website.

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