Dr. Max Linde 1902

Editor: This is Edvard Munch's 1902 etching "Dr. Max Linde," currently held at the Art Institute of Chicago. I'm struck by the raw simplicity of the lines; they seem to capture a certain intellectual intensity, almost a sense of melancholy. What symbols or deeper meanings do you find woven into this seemingly straightforward portrait? Curator: I'm drawn to the sitter's gaze. It seems both direct and evasive, doesn't it? Linde was a patron of Munch's, so this portrait isn't just a likeness; it’s an act of symbolic exchange. Notice how Munch renders the mustache, for example; it's meticulously drawn and appears as though the sitter is wearing an upper lip decoration – almost armour. What emotional message might be hidden in the detail? Editor: That’s interesting. It is a striking detail, adding a sort of formality, even as the rest of the image feels quite loose and immediate. Maybe it represents Linde’s attempt to project a certain image, a social standing. Curator: Precisely! And consider the setting. Linde is not placed in any background. It gives a haunting feel to it. A simple symbol, but Munch's psychological exploration transcends mere physical representation. Editor: It’s amazing how much character is conveyed with so few lines. Thinking about the relationship between Munch and Linde, do you see any power dynamics reflected in the composition? Curator: The way the head almost floats reminds of religious icons, and also how patronage worked for centuries; almost bestowing sainthood upon the sitter through artistic memorialisation. Editor: I never considered the piece in the context of the sitter as saint but more just capturing them as the sitter truly were and as an emblem of the period; I will never be able to unsee that point about the patron becoming canonised by being a subject of a painting Curator: Excellent, because as an iconographer the thing to bear in mind is that it goes both ways.