Munch

by David Loshak

Few images in the history of art are as widely recognized as Edvard Munch's The Scream. It conveys its powerful message very directly so that the viewer requires no knowledge of the circumstances of its creation to derive meaning from it. In a lengthy introduction illustrated with photographs of the artist at work, and prints and paintings by Munch and artists who influenced him in his early years, the author tells the story of Munch's artistic development in the light of his unsettled childhood, overshadowed by the death of his mother and is followed by a selection of 60 of Munch's paintings and prints. Each is illustrated in large-scale full color with an accompanying text which explains the subject matter, symbolism and pictorial devices of each work. David Loshak's many years; study of the subject and his Scandinavian cultural heritage, will give pleasure to its readers for many years to come.

Genres: Art, Art History

Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Jaimie · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I agree that Munch's painting "The Scream" is one of the most interesting examples of art in the last 2 centuries, I'm not overly impressed with the rest of his work. Of the selection that Loshak presented I was really only intrigued by a few of Munch's portraits (self or otherwise), since they each exuded unique personalities and gave the subjects a clear focus - a trend missing from the remainder of lacklustre landscapes and scenes. At least Loshak did an admirable job in presentation, clearly sketching Munch's life and the driving themes behin hid artistic output as well as providing short discussions on a selection of works to highlight their significance.

[Ocean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, straight to the point descriptions of each painting reproduced and their meaning, inspirations and techniques, with just enough background on the artist and his time.
Nice edition as well!