Artwork
Autumn Colours
Autumn Colours is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1916 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1916, *Autumn Colours* is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. Executed during the later phase of his career, the work presents a tranquil landscape rendered in a palette of subdued earth tones. It is part of the collection of the Munch Museum in Oslo.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas depicts a countryside scene where trees and low shrubs stand against a gently rolling horizon. Muted browns, yellows and greens convey the seasonal transition, suggesting the quiet decline of summer into autumn. The composition invites contemplation of nature’s cyclical change, a theme recurrent in Munch’s visual explorations.
Technique & Style
Munch applies the paint with a loose, expressive hand, allowing brushstrokes to remain visible and the surface to retain texture. Thick layers of pigment create a modest impasto effect, adding physical depth to the foliage and sky. The overall approach aligns with post‑impressionist tendencies toward subjective colour and gestural surface treatment.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the holdings of the Munch Museum, where it remains on display. The work reflects Munch’s mature period, produced after years marked by personal illness and family loss, and contributes to the museum’s representation of his later landscape oeuvre.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
