Portrait of Tulla Larsen 1898

Edvard Munch created this portrait of Tulla Larsen using etching, a printmaking technique. The artist would have covered a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then scratched an image into it with a tool. The plate was then submerged in acid, which bit into the exposed lines. This process required great skill, as the depth of the lines determined how dark they would appear in the final print. Munch’s lines feel spontaneous, even raw. Look closely, and you can see the trace of his hand. The portrait is printed in a pale gray ink, giving it a delicate, almost ghostly quality. This suggests that the artist deliberately chose to emphasize process over perfect finish. By highlighting materiality and making, we can understand how Munch challenged traditional distinctions between fine art and craft, opening the way for future generations.