Young Woman from the Latin Quarter 1897

Edvard Munch created this lithograph of a Young Woman from the Latin Quarter. The print shows a portrait of a woman with long dark hair, centered on a pale background. The stark contrast between the dark, almost blocky, hair and the delicate, barely-there lines defining her face draws your attention. Munch’s graphic approach here is striking. The simplification of form and the concentration on essential lines reflect a move away from traditional representation, towards an expression of inner states. We can interpret the woman's gaze and open expression through the interplay of light and shadow, line and form. The lithographic technique allows for a certain flatness, emphasizing the surface and materiality of the image, and highlighting the constructed nature of representation. This work reflects Munch’s exploration of modern identity and the psychological intensity that would come to define expressionism. This aesthetic choice is part of a broader conversation about truth, representation, and the artist’s subjective experience of the world.