Edvard Munch: beyond the Scream
This session on Edvard Munch aims to give a fuller picture of the Norwegian artist’s creative legacy. To do so we will shed light on lesser-known works and aspects of his career. Munch’s art will appear immensely personal, and biographical, but also deeply connected to the cultural context in fin-de-siecle Europe.
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- Start Date: 04 Jul 2025End Date: 04 Jul 2025Fri (Daytime): 10:30 - 12:30OnlineLocation: OnlineDuration: 1 sessionCourse Code: VB266Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00
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What is the course about?
Edvard Munch (1863-1944) was much more than The Scream, this iconic picture so often reproduced and parodied. A prolific artist, he created thousands of paintings, drawings and prints over a long career. He painted allegories, but also portraits and self-portraits, and many landscapes. He even realised a series of large paintings about the history of Norway for the University of Oslo. Stylistically, his bold, saturated, colours and fluid lines are instantaneously recognisable features.
This session explores the depth and breadth of Munch’s artistic vision, tracing the emotional intensity, symbolism, and psychological insight that define his work. We’ll uncover how Munch grappled with themes of love, death, anxiety, and memory. He often linked these universal themes to personal experiences, such as his troubled relationship with Tulla Larsen.
As we discover key biographical elements, expressed in his paintings, we will also relate his art to a broader cultural context. A product of the “fin-de-siecle” moment, Munch was a contemporary of Toulouse-Lautrec, James Ensor, Gustav Klimt, and Aubrey Beardsley. He was also a key precursor to German Expressionism and the work of artists such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.
What will we cover?
- Munch’s biography: Where he came from, where he trained and where he lived. His Bohemian life and health crises, his social circles, lovers, and patrons.
- The characteristics of his works of art, their colours, brushwork, composition. We will also highlight some subject matters that he obsessively painted, and the way he often worked in series.
- Munch’s place within the art of his time, in particular in relation to Symbolism and Expressionism.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
By the end of this course you should be able to:
- Identify several key moments in Munch’s life and career
- Analyse the iconography and visual characteristics of one of Munch’s paintings
- Explain how Munch’s art is connected to the Symbolist and Expressionist movements
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable for all levels.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations and instructions on the basic elements of Zoom software, like usage of microphone and camera.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught with lecture, slide presentation and discussion. This is a live lecture and will not be recorded for reasons related to copyright, data protection and digital infrastructure.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
There are no additional costs.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
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Iconography and iconology: secrets of the old masters revealedFull fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00
