Edvard Munch

Over 80 colour illustrations in this stunning book tell the story of the life and art of Edvard Munch (1863-1944), bringing to life his favorite themes - family, illness, death, fear, love, work.The Munch Museum in Oslo, Denmark, owns approximately 150 of Munch's drawing books. As a young artist, Munch drew in these books enthusiastically, using the drawings as the basis of his paintings. He drew compulsively, and almost everywhere he went: travelling, visiting cafes, at the theatre, outdoors and when he was at home or in his atelier. He drew animals, nature, architecture, but most often people from his own surroundings: family, friends, children, workmen, and sometimes mermaids, ghosts and Madonnas.The selection of drawings reproduced in this book gives us a glimpse of the artist's creative process. It is a fascinating record of the stages of development of a painting, but it is just as interesting to see the drawings as works of art in their own right.The selection of drawings in the book - out of de 4500 owned by the Munch museum - represents the best of the total collection. Furthermore, the drawings that were chosen give us a wide perspective on Munch the draftsman. This volume illustrates his different styles, techniques and most important themes, as well as showing Munch as a young and as a mature artist