House with Red Virginia Creeper

House with Red Virginia Creeper is often regarded as a preliminary study for the Munch Museum's Red Virginia Creeper (1898--1900, Woll M 440), as is also a larger version of the same subject (1898--1899, Woll M 438). In the National Museum's version, the creeper is almost entirely an unadulterated red, while in the other preliminary study, it has deeper tones shading into brown. The pure colour is repeated in Red Virginia Creeper. The main difference between the Munch Museum's version and the two preliminary studies is the male figure in the foreground. Red* Virginia Creeper* was exhibited in Berlin in 1902 as part of the Frieze of Life as the central item in a series of five works on the angst theme, culminating in The Scream (Nasjonalmuseet, NG.M.00939).

It is probable that the three versions were executed around the same time. When the National Gallery purchased the painting in 1938, its date was recorded as ca. 1900. Recent research has shown, however, that in all probability the works were painted in late summer 1899 (Høifødt 1995). In both of the preliminary versions, the trees are still green. This supports the idea that they were painted in the early autumn, some time before the final version, in which the trees have shed their leaves and the landscape as a whole is tending towards winter. In all three versions, the red creeper to which the title refers covers most of the façade of the house. The house is Kiøsterudgården in Åsgårdstrand, which also features in the background of *Girls on the Bridge *(Nasjonalmuseet, NG.M.00844), although in the latter it lacks the creeper. Munch did not stay at Åsgårdstrand in the summer or autumn of 1900. He was there in autumn 1898 and may have painted the picture then (Woll 2008, 481). Stylistic features suggest, however, that all three versions were executed in 1899.

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

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• Høifødt, Frank. «Kvinnen, kunsten, korset. Edvard Munch anno 1900». [upublisert avhandling, doktorgrad]. Universitetet i Oslo, 1995. 141.
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