Woman with Children 1907

Edvard Munch created this pastel drawing titled "Woman with Children," although the exact date remains unknown. Munch, a Norwegian artist, was working during a time when traditional family structures were being questioned, and modern ideas about sexuality and motherhood were emerging. This work’s cultural context is that of late 19th and early 20th century Scandinavia, a region undergoing rapid modernization and grappling with changing social norms. Notice the woman's nudity and the children's clinging gestures, which challenge the traditional, idealized image of motherhood. Is Munch commenting on the burdens and complexities of female experience? To understand this work better, we might research Scandinavian social policies related to women and children during Munch's time. The interpretation of art is always dependent on social context.