Painting

Jørgen Sørensen (1861--1894) was a relative, colleague and friend of Munch from his youth. Their friendship dates back to 1881, when both were students at the Royal School of Design (Tegneskolen) in Kristiania. In 1883--1884 they joined forces with some other young artists to rent a shared studio at Lille Grensen 7 ("Pultosten"), close to Stortingsplass.

Munch made a number of such small-format portraits of friends, colleagues and models in the years around 1885. In its cropping, choice of colours and sketchiness, it has elements in common with the National Museum's Self-Portrait of 1886 (The National Museum, NG.M.01915).

There is some uncertainty about the dating of the picture. It was probably shown for the first time at the exhibitions in Berlin and Oslo in 1927, when it was dated to 1885. This is plausible in terms of genre, format and stylistic execution. The portrait was gifted to the National Gallery by State Auditor Nicolai Julius Sørensen, an older brother of the picture's subject. This was in 1895, shortly after Jørgen Sørensen's untimely death in 1894.

Sørensen made his debut at the National Annual Autumn Exhibition in 1883 and contributed regularly until his death. His prosaic landscapes and street scenes show the influence of Frits Thaulow's open-air realism.

Øystein Ustvedt

The text was first published in Edvard Munch in the National Museum. A comprehensive overview (Oslo: National Museum, 2022).

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