Edvard Munch: The Complete Graphic Works [Hardcover]

Gerd Woll (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0810908743 | ISBN-13: 978-0810908741 | Publication Date: October 1, 2001 | Edition: First Edition

Containing more than 1,100 breathtaking reproductions of the entire graphic œuvre of Edvard Munch (1863-1944), this unique and important book is a long-awaited and essential contribution to the literature on Munch and his accomplishments as a printmaker. Nothing this complete, beautiful, and authoritative has ever been published on this enormously popular artist; the only other book available on his graphic works focuses solely on his Symbolist prints.

The scholarly text displays the exhaustive research and enormous attention to detail that have earned author Gerd Woll renown as one of the world's most respected art historians. An indispensable tool for professionals, and a stunning art book as well, this will be the standard reference on Munch's graphic work for many years to come.
1,111 illustrations, 250 in full color, 512 pages, 111/2 x 101/2"AUTORBIO: Gerd Woll is senior curator of prints and drawings at the Munch Museum, Oslo, where this vast collection of the artist's prints is housed. She is one of the world's foremost Munch experts and has written extensively on his graphic work.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This definitive updating and expansion of previous catalogs dating from the 1920s will remain the chief reference for Munch's graphic oeuvre for a long time to come. Woll, the senior curator of prints and drawings at the Munch Museum in Oslo, has spent 15 years studying the 17,000 sheets there and a further 6000 impressions in public and private collections worldwide to establish the 748 separate works representing Munch's graphic production (all are reproduced here, many in color). Appendixes list related drawings, reproductions, fakes, major print exhibitions of Munch's work, and a concordance with the earlier catalogs by Gustav Schiefler. Woll provides a clear and informative 25-page overview of Munch's 50 years of printmaking, but the bulk of the text is the 390 pages of catalog entries. Each entry gives the title in English, Norwegian, and German; date, dimensions, and medium; and a careful physical description of the print and any variants. Four pages of the essay in the review copy were misprinted from the German edition, and though the publisher claims that this problem has been caught, libraries should check their copy on receipt. Despite some other generally minor typographical errors throughout and the volume's high price, this will be absolutely essential for research collections and for those interested in the graphic arts. Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 493 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; First Edition edition (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810908743
• ISBN-13: 978-0810908741
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 10.9 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,383,293 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, but expensive., January 26, 2002

By A Customer

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This review is from: Edvard Munch: The Complete Graphic Works (Hardcover)

This is sure to become the definitive collection of Munch's graphic work. The plates are beautifully and accurately done (I've seen many of the original prints), and, as the title says, the collection is comprehensive - something which the non-enthusiast probably won't require (multiple prints from the same etching are included, along with all of Munch's later work, post nervous breakdown, that I personally find less appealing). Nevertheless, if you're serious about studying Munch, and money is not a concern, this is a tremendous resource.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular resource for the dedicated scholar, May 13, 2007

By 

wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Edvard Munch: The Complete Graphic Works (Hardcover)

If you are passionate about Munch's art, you'll enjoy this immensely. If you deal professionally in fine prints, this will be a substantial addition to your working library. For all others, it's too much and not enough.

This remarkable book is a complete catalog of prints from a very prolific printmaker - over 700 of them, from a career spanning 50 years. Each one is reproduced, B&W or color, in readily recognizable form. When significantly different states or inkings are known, each variation is shown. Thorough notes accompany each, not just medium, size, and date, but information about where it was printed and displayed, and sometimes even about the plate, block, or stone from which it was printed. Indexing, notes, and supporting material are meticulous. This volume certainly meets its goal: to represent Munch's total output of prints, to the extent that very fine scholarship possibly can.

This is just a catalog, though. The author has intentionally witheld commentary, referring readers to the large literature that already analyzes Munch's work. Reproductions are always printed well, and large enough to be easily recognized. Very few are full sized or even page sized - despite its large format, this isn't a coffee table book of the usual kind. Anyone but a serious fan will find it repetitive and disappointing as a "picture book."

//wiredweird

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond Amazing, September 24, 2009

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zen (SFO) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Edvard Munch: The Complete Graphic Works (Hardcover)

I never cared for Munch until I saw the woodblock prints in this book.
They are brilliant and edgie. This man is the father of grunge.
This book has the best collection of Munch's woodcuts by far.
It is a tragedy that the book is so rare it has become unaffordable for
artists who would benefit the most from seeing it.
I really hope that someone (with sensibility) will put together another
epic anthology of his woodblock prints.
If the price of this book wipes out your book budget for the next 3 years,
I would still recommend it.