Painting

Moonlight

Artist: Edvard Munch
Creation date: (1893)

On display: Room 060 The Collection Exhibition - Edvard Munch

About

A finely tuned interplay of contrasts is one of the defining features of this evocative painting. Intense, cool moonlight falls on a picket fence and a window frame behind the woman in the foreground, while also illuminating her pale face. The rest of the woman’s figure, together with the shadow on the wall and the garden, lies in muffled obscurity. Here we find shapes with concise, undulating contours that stand in contrast with the rhythmically patterned, rectangular forms of the fence and the house. Set against these flat, frontal elements, the woman’s shadow and the sections of fence and wall create an element of depth in the composition. But the visual components are not in themselves what matter most; the concise, underlying mood is one of loneliness, yearning and angst.

Munch painted this picture in summer 1893 at Åsgårdstrand, where he also painted The Voice (now in the Munch Museum), which tackles a related theme. Three years later he returned to this motif in a woodcut.

The painting was purchased for the National Gallery in 1938 with funds donated by Olaf Schou, with a contribution from Marit Nørregaard.

Edvard Munch collection catalogue
A woman in a dark dress and hat stands in front of a yellow weatherboard house with a white picket fence. The landscape beyond lies in darkness, while the wall of the house, the fence and the woman's face are lit by bright moonlight. The features of the face are somewhat blurred. Although the title refers to moonlight, it is the female figure who catches the eye. The white-painted fence and window frame stand out prominently. So too does the moon reflected in the window pane. The dark green shadow of the woman on the wall of the house has an undulating contour that contrasts with the picture's more rigorous vertical and horizontal elements. By means of these formal devices, Munch imbues a simple, everyday situation with a mood of mystery. The stylisation of details and a shallow pictorial depth create the impression of a stage set. The woman stands close to us, reducing the distance between the space of the picture and that of the viewer. Moonlight was probably painted in Åsgårdstrand in summer 1893. Two drawings of similar composition suggest that Munch was developing this theme while staying there, and that he used a model (sketchbook MM.T.00129).

Although the woman's frontal pose is typical of Munch's paintings during this period, the approach to colour distinguishes this work from most of the others that date from 1893. There are, however, a few from that summer that explore the same dark palette. It has been suggested that these reflect Munch's interest in the symbolist paintings of Arnold Böcklin. He was familiar with the Swiss artist's works, many of which he had seen during a visit to the Hamburger Kunsthalle in autumn 1891 (Eggum 1983, 98).

Thematically, the painting can be understood in a variety of ways. One approach stresses the biographical perspective. The female figure has been interpreted as a recollection and representation of the young Munch's first love, whom he refers to in his private notes as "Mrs Heiberg" (Billeter 1998, 125). The picture has also been compared to Sommernattsdrøm. Stemmen (Summer Night's Dream. The Voice) (Woll M 319), which was painted the same year. Both works have been interpreted as portrayals of female desire and of the desirous male gaze for the woman (Mørstad 2003, 86). The face, the reflection of the full moon in the window, and the white and red flowers have been seen as metaphors for the cycles of nature, the moon and the female body (Varnedoe 1982, 190).

The painting was first exhibited in Berlin in December 1893. Other related works include the Hus i måneskinn (House in Moonlight) (Woll M 323), owned by KODE Art Museums and Composer Homes, Bergen, and two pencil drawings in a sketchbook owned by the Munch Museum. Munch also made two colour woodcuts based on the same subject, in 1896 and 1901. For these he chose just a section of the figure, such that the woman's face dominates the picture (Woll G 90; Woll G 202). The painting was purchased for the collection in 1938 with financial support from the Olaf Schou endowment. '

Vibeke Waallann Hansen The text was first published in Edvard Munch in the National Museum. A comprehensive overview (Oslo: National Museum, 2022).
Creation date:
(1893)
Other titles:
Måneskinn (NOR)
Object type:
Painting
Materials and techniques:
Olje på lerret
Material:
Canvas
Dimensions:
Height: 140.5 cm
Width: 137 cm
Keywords:
Visual art
Classification:
532 - Bildende kunst
Inventory no.:
NG.M.01914
Cataloguing level:
Single object
Inscriptions:
Primary, Signature, nede høyre: E. Munch
Acquisition:
Purchased 1938
Provenance:
[40] Previous owner, Harald Nørregaard
[30] Seller to the museum, Wang Kunsthandel
Owner and collection:
Nasjonalmuseet for kunst, arkitektur og design, The Fine Art Collections
Photo:
Børre Høstland/Lathion, Jacques/Jacques Lathion
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Munch 150Oslo(2013)
Livets dans. Samlingen fra antikken til 1950Oslo(2011–2019)
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Edvard Munch - Thema und VariationWien, Østerrike(2003)
Visions du nord. Lumière du monde, lumière du cielParis, Frankrike(1998)
Tradisjon og fornyelse. Norge rundt århundreskiftetOslo(1994–1995)
Edvard Munch. The Frieze of LifeJapan(1993)
Edvard Munch. The Frieze of LifeJapan(1993)
Edvard Munch. The Frieze of LifeLondon, Storbritannia(1992–1993)
Edvard MunchEssen, Tyskland(1987)
Edvard MunchSveits(1987–1988)
Nordiske stemninger. Nordisk maleri ved århundreskiftetOslo(1987)
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Dreams of a summer night. Scandinavian painting at the turn of the centuryLondon, Storbritannia(1986)
Northern light. Realism and symbolism in Scandinavian paintingMinneapolis, USA(1983)
Northern light. Realism and symbolism in Scandinavian paintingNew York, USA(1982–1983)
Northern light. Realism and symbolism in Scandinavian paintingWashington D.C., USA(1982)
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The Art of Norway 1750-1914Madison, USA(1978–1979)
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Le symbolisme en EuropeParis, Frankrike(1976)
Edvard Munch 1863-1944London, Storbritannia(1974)
Edvard Munch 1863-1944Paris, Frankrike(1974)
Edvard Munch 1863-1944München, Tyskland(1973)
Höjdpunkter i norsk konstStockholm, Sverige(1968)
Edvard MunchNew York, USA(1965–1966)
Jubileumsutstilling 1814–1964Oslo(1964)
150 Jahre Norwegische MalereiTyskland(1964)
Les sources du XXe siècle. Les arts en Europe 1884 à1914Paris, Frankrike(1960–1961)
Edvard MunchNederland(1958–1959)
Fyns Stiftsmuseums Edvard Munch udstillingFyn, Danmark(1955)
Ausstellung Edvard MunchKöln, Tyskland(1955)
Kunstforeningens Edvard Munch udstillingKøbenhavn, Danmark(1955)
Ausstellung Edvard MunchMünchen, Tyskland(1954)
La biennale di VeneziaVeneto, Italia(1954)
Harald Nørregaards samlingOslo(1938)
Edvard MunchBerlin, Tyskland(1927)
Edvard MunchOslo(1927)
Den Norske Kunst-udstillingKøbenhavn, Danmark(1915)
Den norske UdstillingKøbenhavn, Danmark(1906)
Edvard Munchs MaleriudstillingKristiania, Norge(1901)
Eduard MunchDresden, Tyskland(1898)
Edvard Munch - MaleriudstillingKristiania, Norge(1897)
Edvard MunchStavanger(1896)
Edvard MunchBergen(1895)
Edvard MunchKristiania, Norge(1895)
Edvard Munchs utställningStockholm, Sverige(1894)
Eduard Munch Gemälde-AusstellungBerlin, Tyskland(1893)
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Varnedoe, Kirk. Northern light: Realism and Symbolism in Scandinavian Painting. Utstillingskatalog. New York: The Brooklyn Museum, 1982. 190.
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Nasjonalmuseet's collection catalogue is a living resource of information gathered since the 1830's. Some records may contain language or ideas that today could be perceived as outdated, offensive or discriminatory with regard to for instance gender, sexuality, ethnicity or disability, and that may be at odds with the museum's values regarding equality and diversity.

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