After the Scream: The Late Paintings of Edvard Munch [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Prelinger (Author), Gudmund Vigtel (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2002

Expressing the anxieties of the late-19th century and the uncertainties of the modern world, Edvard Munch (1862-1944) often depicted in his works dangerously seductive "fin de siecle" women, sickly figures, and isolated characters in barren landscapes. These powerful, haunting paintings are widely recognized and revered, especially his iconic work "The Scream" (1893). Yet few admirers of Munch's early works realize that the artist lived well into the 20th century and was enormously productive almost to the time of his death. This volume, focusing on more than 60 of Munch's later paintings, aims to reveal the surprising, vibrant work of a fascinating man who never ceased to grow as an artist. Following decades of restless wandering among the capitals of Europe, Munch suffered a breakdown in Copenhagen in 1908 and retreated to his native Norway. In 1916 he purchased an estate near present-day Oslo where he lived and worked, mostly in his outdoor studio, for the next 20 years. Although Munch never abandoned a deeply introspective approach to image-making, in his later works he expressed a new attachment to the visible world, adopting a fresh range of subjects and a looser, brighter painting style. The pictures of this period - full of vivid colour, evocative atmospheres, and visual drama - are a revelation, casting new light on one of the most complex artists of the modern era.

Editorial Reviews

Review

[Makes] the case that . . . Munch’s later works . . . add a new dimension to our view of his career. -- ARTnews

From the Publisher

This book accompanies the first major exhibition of Edvard Munch's paintings in the United States since 1978 and the first ever to focus on his late works. The exhibition opens in February 2002 at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta. Published in association with the High Museum of Art, Atlanta

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; 1st edition (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300093438
• ISBN-13: 978-0300093438
• Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 10 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,474,578 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the unknown munch, May 10, 2002

By 

drollere (Sebastopol, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: After the Scream: The Late Paintings of Edvard Munch (Hardcover)

munch is an artist who became so well known for an early work ("the scream") that his later work was eclipsed by it. the fact that nearly all of his later works hang in an oslo museum hasn't helped either. so it's a real surprise to browse this exhibition catalog and discover the many beautiful paintings munch created in the half century between "the scream" (1893) and his death (1944).

munch's technique is very interesting: using thinned oil paints, with direct application of single layers of color, his paintings approach watercolors in their spontaneity, light, and beautifully textured color harmonies. at the same time, his themes are very personal -- his illnesses, his large estate near oslo, his lonely life painting in the countryside, his struggle with alcoholism. technique and themes combine to give his work a uniquely poignant lyricism.

the accompanying text on munch's life and work is well written and comprehensive. this is a great gift for someone who loves painting -- even if they know art well, munch's late works will come as a happy revelation.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new view of a modern master, July 26, 2004

By 

Kevin Killian (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: After the Scream: The Late Paintings of Edvard Munch (Hardcover)

Preliger writes swiftly and cleanly, though of course much of the book's heft is devoted to reproducing the paintings under question. She is very good at describing and clarifying how narrow our view of Munch has been; we treat him like some kind of haunted Poe or Klimt-like figure, even though the majority of his work has a golden glow like a fairy tale, and is not horror stricken as the early work we associate him with. His painting is smooth and delicate, reminding me of the clear tempera colors we used to paint Easter Eggs with when we were small children, and there is something of the innocence of a child about his mature work; it is as though having undergone the darkness early on, his spirit was allowed to soar later on. Or compare Shakespeare's late romances like The Winter's Tale or Cymbeline with the earlier and heavier problem plays (Measure for Measure) etc. In any case, brava to Elizabeth Preliger for her much needed corrective.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The first major exhibition of his works since 1978, August 6, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: After the Scream: The Late Paintings of Edvard Munch (Hardcover)

Elizabeth Prelinger's After The Scream celebrates the late paintings of Edvard Munich: haunting paintings which also reveal quite a different side of the artist. While his images of people remain striking, he painted a range of subjects and used a brighter approach later in life, and this accompanies the first major exhibition of his works since 1978 - and the first to focus on his later achievements.