Ghosts; Osvald 1920

Edvard Munch made this image, "Ghosts; Osvald," with crayon or lithographic chalk by dragging it across the surface of the stone or plate. Look at the way the strokes of crayon build up the shadows around the figures and give the impression of depth. There's an ambiguity to the marks, a fuzziness. The lines aren't hard and clear; they're smudged and broken, which lends a haunting quality to the piece. It's like a memory that's fading or a dream that's slipping away as you wake up. The texture is rough and raw, and the colors are muted, adding to the somber mood. The pale yellow behind the figure's head is like a sickly halo, drawing attention to the man's distress. Munch is maybe in conversation with other artists who tackled similar themes of alienation and existential angst, like Van Gogh or maybe even Goya. Ultimately, "Ghosts; Osvald" speaks to the power of art to capture the complex emotions that haunt our lives.