Woman with Red Hair and Green Eyes 1901

Curator: This lithograph by Edvard Munch, held here at the Harvard Art Museums, is titled "Woman with Red Hair and Green Eyes." It's strikingly haunting, isn't it? Editor: It is. It feels almost like a ghost. Looking at the printing though, it's interesting to see how the texture of the stone gives her hair this almost coarse, tangible quality despite her ethereal presentation. Curator: Absolutely. The red hair, a symbol of passion and even danger in Munch's time, frames her face like a halo of raw emotion. Her pale skin and those piercing green eyes hint at a deeper psychological intensity. Editor: I wonder, though, about the production. Was it a single stone, or multiple? The layering of color seems minimal, yet effective. How accessible would this print have been, given the labor involved? Curator: The layering would contribute to the emotion I think. Munch often explored themes of anxiety and inner turmoil, and he used the female figure as a vessel for these ideas. Editor: It’s certainly potent, and thinking about its making helps ground the visceral feeling. Curator: It does add a layer of understanding to appreciate both the symbols and its physical presence. Editor: Indeed. It brings a more complete perspective to such a raw work.