The Building Of The Winter Studio 1929

Edvard Munch made this painting, The Building Of The Winter Studio, with oil on canvas, though we don't know exactly when. What is immediately striking to me is the use of colour. The cool blues and whites are contrasted with the warm oranges and reds. This contrast feels very deliberate and considered, even though the overall effect is quite loose and expressive. Munch uses thin washes of paint, building up layers of colour and texture. Look closely, and you can see how the brushstrokes follow the forms of the building and the figures, creating a sense of movement and energy. I'm drawn to the way he renders the figures, like the one carrying planks on the lower left. They're almost like ghosts, barely there, yet they carry such weight, literally and metaphorically. The painting feels raw and unfinished, like a snapshot of a moment in time. There is something about Munch that reminds me of Van Gogh, another artist who wasn't afraid to show the raw emotion of life in his art. Both were interested in process, both created new ways of seeing. I love that art can be so many things, that it refuses to be pinned down or defined.