Vampire II 1895 - 1902

Curator: Here we have Edvard Munch's "Vampire II," residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Look at the composition of the piece. Editor: It feels like a dark lullaby, a strange embrace, with that fiery hair almost suffocating the pale figure beneath. Curator: Munch was deeply concerned with the means of production, as his prints became widely circulated, thus democratizing his art and challenging the elitist structures of the art world. Editor: You know, that fiery hair almost feels alive, a separate entity feeding off the other figure, but then I see vulnerability in that embrace, too. Curator: Absolutely. The piece speaks to both the power dynamics of early capitalist society and human connection and the exploitation of labor, which, through printmaking, becomes more accessible. Editor: I guess that’s true; I hadn't thought about printmaking democratizing access. It’s still a strangely beautiful image. Curator: It makes you question what is being produced and for whom. Editor: Yes.