Elderly Woman on a Bench 1986

In this etching by Edvard Munch, we find an elderly woman hunched on a bench, rendered in moody browns and blacks. I imagine Munch, with his restless energy, etching the plate, the needle scratching into the metal, line by line, pulling this image from his gut. What was Munch thinking as he made this? Maybe about aging, loneliness, or the way society often overlooks the elderly? The heavy lines create deep shadows, obscuring her face, while people behind her seem to carry on unaware. It's like a scene caught from the corner of your eye, full of feeling, even though it’s hard to put your finger on exactly what's happening. Munch's raw expression reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker, another artist who wasn't afraid to look at the tough stuff. These artists, they're all in conversation, pushing each other to dig deeper, to find the messy, complicated truths about being human. Painting isn't just about showing what's there; it's about revealing what’s felt.