Inger Munch in Black

The painting is one of Munch's first ambitious half-length portraits. The young woman portrayed in three-quarter profile is the artist's sister Inger Marie Munch (1868--1952). Five years younger than Edvard, Inger was confirmed in 1884, at the age of sixteen, and in the portrait she is wearing her confirmation dress, sewn by Aunt Karen. It was not uncommon to have a portrait painted in connection with such rites of passage. In this respect, the work anticipates a recurring theme in Munch's art: depictions of women at various milestones in life.

The work is distinctive for its blend of an old-masterly quality with carefully calibrated realism. In her dark dress, the figure is set against a black background so that attention focuses on the face and hands. Influences for the picture include Christian Krohg's picturesque realism, the portraits of Munch's somewhat older and highly acclaimed colleague Hans Heyerdahl, and an interest in the old masters. Interior scenes and portraits of family members form a central group among Munch's early works. In these, no one features more prominently than the artist's sister Inger, the youngest member of the family. In addition to several portraits, she also features in a number of works with ensembles of figures. Of these many depictions, the most monumental are Inger på stranden(Inger on the Beach) (1889, Woll 2008, M 182) and the National Museum's Inger in Black and Violet (The National Museum, NG.M.00499). Inger was an important support to the artist throughout his life and the only one of his siblings to outlive him.

The painting was first shown at the World Exposition in Antwerp in 1885. This was also the first time Munch's work was presented outside Norway. Before he turned twenty-two, he was selected to represent Norway together with a number of older colleagues. The following year, the picture was shown at the National Annual Autumn Exhibition in Kristiania, where, together with The Sick Child (The National Museum, NG.M.00839), it attracted considerable attention. In 1937, it was among the many works bequeathed to the National Gallery by the couple Charlotte and Christian Mustad. The artist mentions the painting in an undated letter to his aunt, Karen Bjølstad: "Inger's first portrait -- which Aftenposten scoffed at -- was sold to Mustad for 20,000 kroner by Mrs Hammer, who bought it from me for 60 kroner" (emunch.no: MM N 1061).

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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