Alma Mater; Exploring Children 1914 - 1915

Edvard Munch created Alma Mater with oil on canvas. It’s all pale yellows and oranges in the foreground, meeting strokes of blue in the middle distance. I imagine Munch standing before this canvas, maybe outside, squinting into the glare. I can almost feel the weight of the brush in his hand, the give of the bristles. He’s building up the children’s forms with these short, almost jabbing strokes, then smoothing them into washes of color. Look at the way that blue runs into the beige, creating a sense of depth and distance with a few broad gestures. It’s both carefully observed and wildly expressive. There's a kinship here with other painters too, from Van Gogh to Bonnard, all grappling with the problem of how to translate fleeting sensations into something solid and lasting. Ultimately, painting’s like that, a constant conversation across time, inspiring and pushing each other forward. It’s embodied expression, always open to new interpretations, with multiple meanings.