The Brooch. Eva Mudocci

Artists:
- Edvard Munch
- Anton Peder Nielsen
  Founder, printer i.a. in duplication
Creation date: Platen utført 1903; trykket 1915

About

One of Munch’s most beautiful and highly praised female figures. Eva Mudocci (Rose Lynton, prob. 1883-1953) was a young, gifted violinist whom Munch got to know in 1902. Together with the pianist Bella Edwards, she toured Europe giving concerts that brought her renown and acclaim. In the lithograph, Mudocci is depicted half-length and from a low angle. Her loose dark hair flows freely around her pale face. Her gaze is lowered and turned to one side, towards something beyond the frame and invisible to the viewer. Focal to the picture is her brooch, which creates a fine balance in the composition and enhances her enigmatic gaze. What does it mean to her? What is she thinking about? Mudocci appears in two other works Munch finished in the same year: Violin Concert and Salome.

There are certain similarities between the figure in The Brooch and Munch’s famous Madonna. Earlier, this lithograph itself bore that title. Here the erotic dimension is considerably toned down and the figure shows more individual and thoughtful traits. The work demonstrates how Munch was gradually mastering the expressive potential of the lithographic medium. The undulating lines have a lot in common with the leisurely brushstrokes that characterise so many of Munch’s paintings. With its simple contrasts and subtle visual effects this is a highlight among Munch’s graphic works.

The work was bequeathed to the National Gallery by Hans Aas in 1947.

Creation date:
Platen utført 1903; trykket 1915
Other titles:
Brosjen. Eva Mudocci (NOR)
Die Brosche. Eva Mudocci (GER)
Object type:
Print
Materials and techniques:
Litografi på papir
Material:
Paper
Edition:
22/
Keywords:
Visual art
Classification:
532 - Bildende kunst
Motif - type:
Portrait
Inventory no.:
NG.K&H.B.00816
Cataloguing level:
Single object
Inscriptions:
Primary, Inscription: Edv Munch
Secondary, Inscription: No 22. III Tilstand
Acquisition:
Bequeathed by Hans Jacob Aall 1947
Owner and collection:
Nasjonalmuseet for kunst, arkitektur og design, The Fine Art Collections
Photo:
Andreas Harvik/Ivarsøy, Dag Andre
Hansen, Vibeke Waallann, et al. Edvard Munch i Nasjonalmuseet: en samlet oversikt. Redigert av Ustvedt, Øystein, et al. Oslo: Nasjonalmuseet, 2022. kat.nr. 167.
Woll, Gerd. Edvard Munch: the complete graphic works. New York: Harry N. Abrams Inc. Publ., 2001. kat.nr. 244.
Jones, Liv Inger. Norsk grafikk til 1970. Kobberstikk- og håndtegningsamlingens kataloger. Oslo: Nasjonalgalleriet, 1972. kat.nr. 104.
Schiefler, Gustav. Verzeichnis des graphischen Werks Edvard Munchs bis 1906. Berlin: Bruno Cassirer, 1907. kat.nr. 212.
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