Death in the Sickroom 1896

Editor: Edvard Munch's "Death in the Sickroom" is an intense scene, starkly rendered. The figures seem isolated, disconnected even in shared grief. What symbols do you see conveying this sense of emotional fragmentation? Curator: Notice how Munch uses the black attire to represent mourning, but it almost becomes a suffocating presence. The blank faces turned away from the central figure suggests a denial of shared grief. Do you see how the setting further evokes a sense of cultural memory of Victorian mourning rituals? Editor: Yes, the somber tones are definitely overwhelming. Curator: Think about the cultural weight of death as a taboo subject during Munch’s time, and the need for public displays of mourning. Munch seems to be critiquing this. Editor: I hadn’t considered the cultural critique. Thanks, that’s a fascinating perspective.