Ottilie Schiefler 1907

Edvard Munch sketched "Ottilie Schiefler" using red chalk on paper. Munch lived through a period of immense change and artistic experimentation, and his personal life was marked by tragedy and emotional turmoil, all of which profoundly shaped his art. There’s a quiet stillness in Ottilie’s face, a sense of introspection that might mirror Munch’s own emotional states. It's easy to read into her expression, to see traces of the artist’s famous angst reflected in her eyes. We might also consider the broader societal expectations placed on women during Munch’s time. Was he subtly commenting on these constraints by capturing a sense of quiet resignation? "From my rotting body, flowers shall grow and I am in them and that is eternity", Munch once wrote, capturing his perspective on the symbiosis of life, death, and art. This drawing, with its delicate lines, offers a space for reflection on the complexities of being, seen through Munch’s unique and deeply personal lens.