Stanislaw Przybyszewski 1895

This ghostly portrait of Stanislaw Przybyszewski was painted by Edvard Munch, but the date is unknown. It is made with oil paint, applied in thin washes to a coarse canvas. The permeable support allows the paint to soak in and stain the fabric. See how the image seems to emanate from the fibers themselves, giving the painting an ethereal quality. The face of Przybyszewski, a Polish writer, emerges from this haze. There is an almost unsettling sense of impermanence, fitting for a painter known for his engagement with anxiety and inner turmoil. The quick, decisive brushstrokes capture the sitter's likeness and the texture of his clothing, all while emphasizing the materiality of the painting. We can see the weave of the canvas and the layers of paint build on top of one another. Munch's emphasis on process and material brings an immediacy to his art. It challenges us to see how his approach to making becomes a part of the painting's meaning, dissolving the boundary between craft and art.