Munch, Edvard (1863-1944)
Self-Portrait in Hell (Selvportrett i helvete)
1903
Oil on canvas, 82 × 66 cm
Munch Museum, Oslo
In this period Munch embarks on a creative quest to reinvent himself as an artist. His images from the 1890s, suddenly seem outdated. As Europe wakes up to a modern world full of new technologies, mass media, high-speed transportation and urban living, Munch searches for forms to express this new world. In the year before he paints this dramatic self-portrait, his four-year turbulent relationship with Tulla Larsen ends in a quarrel, and a gunshot is fired from a pistol Munch keeps in his house. He hurts his hand. It is an incident that will continue to haunt him.
His naked body surrounded by flames makes him seem defenseless. The huge shadow behind him seems overwhelming and threatening. Do the shadows symbolize the dark side of humans and the past we carry with us? Munch was 40 years old. In this period he had been through a breakup, struggled financially and needed a new direction in his artistry. He seems vulnerable. He takes off his mask while keeping us at a distance. (Munchmuseet)