Artwork
17th of May in a Small, Norwegian Town
17th of May in a Small, Norwegian Town is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1919 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1919, *17th of May in a Small, Norwegian Town* is an oil painting by Norway’s Edvard Munch. The work belongs to the post‑impressionist phase of his career, a period in which he pursued visual expressions of inner feeling. It is presently displayed in the Munch Museum, Oslo, and measures the festive atmosphere of Norway’s Constitution Day.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas records a bustling street scene on Norway’s national holiday. Figures of adults and children mingle, many wearing bright hats and coats, while a parent holds a child’s hand. The composition captures the communal joy of the celebration, suggesting both personal memory and collective identity within a modest town setting.
Technique & Style
Munch employs vigorous brushwork and a palette dominated by blues, yellows and oranges. The saturated hues and energetic strokes convey movement, guiding the eye across the crowd. The handling of light and color creates a warm, lively ambience, while the loose application underscores the emotional immediacy typical of his post‑impressionist approach.
History & Provenance
The painting emerged after Munch’s studies at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania, where the radical ideas of nihilist Hans Jæger encouraged him to depict personal experience. Since its completion, the work has remained in the artist’s estate and was transferred to the Munch Museum, where it forms part of the permanent collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
