Artwork
Daniel Jacobson
Daniel Jacobson is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1908 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1908, this oil portrait by Edvard Munch depicts a solitary figure named Daniel Jacobson. Executed in a post‑impressionist manner, the work is part of the permanent collection of Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst. The composition presents Jacobson in profile, his posture relaxed yet slightly formal, set against an abstracted, multicolored background.
Subject & Meaning
Jacobson appears in a dark, loosely fitted suit with a partially unbuttoned jacket, a white shirt and spectacles, one hand tucked into his pocket. The informal pose and the ambiguous, almost dreamlike setting suggest an interest in the inner life of the sitter rather than a straightforward likeness, aligning with Munch’s broader focus on psychological presence.
Technique & Style
Munch employs thick, uneven brushwork that gives the surface a tactile, impasto quality. The palette is vivid—greens, yellows, reds swirl behind the figure—yet the colors remain deliberately unblended, creating a stark contrast that isolates the portrait from its chaotic surroundings. This approach reflects the post‑impressionist emphasis on expressive surface and emotional resonance.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s commitment to representing early‑20th‑century Scandinavian modernism and Munch’s role within that narrative.
Context
The work belongs to a period when Munch, having trained at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania (now Oslo), was deeply engaged with bohemian artistic circles. His personal experiences of illness and loss informed a visual language that sought to externalize inner states, a concern evident in this portrait’s psychological emphasis.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
