The Hands 1895

Curator: Welcome. We're looking at Edvard Munch's "The Hands," a striking print held here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's unsettling, isn't it? All those grasping hands... She seems almost trapped, like a dark fairytale princess. Curator: Munch often explored themes of anxiety and desire. The imagery, especially the sea of hands, speaks to societal pressures placed on women, or even his personal anxieties about relationships. Editor: Or maybe it's simpler than that. Maybe it’s about being touched, or wanting to be touched. It’s kind of raw, unvarnished, you know? Curator: Rawness was certainly a part of his aesthetic. He was trying to get at something fundamental about the human condition. Editor: Well, he nailed the fundamental weirdness of it all, that's for sure. Gives you a chill, in a good way. Curator: Indeed. It serves as a stark reminder of the power art has to provoke and challenge us. Editor: I’ll definitely be thinking about those hands later. A powerful image.