Artwork
Desire
Desire is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1907 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1907, *Desire* is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. The work depicts an interior scene dominated by saturated reds, blues and yellows, where two women occupy a couch and its surrounding space. The composition is rendered with thick, expressive brushwork that emphasizes texture and emotional tension.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas presents a domestic setting in which one woman stands behind a couch while another, seated, leans her head against the upholstery. Both figures wear dark dresses, and a bottle lies on the floor near the furniture. The juxtaposition of posture and the intimate proximity suggest an undercurrent of yearning and psychological unease.
Technique & Style
Munch employs a post‑impressionist vocabulary, using bold color contrasts and vigorous, impasto strokes to convey mood rather than precise detail. The palette’s intense reds, blues and yellows create a vibrating surface, while the heavy application of paint adds a tactile quality that heightens the sense of inner turbulence.
History & Provenance
*Desire* belongs to the collection of the Munch Museum in Oslo. It was produced during a period when Munch was intensively exploring themes of emotion and mental states, a focus shaped by his early experiences of illness, personal loss, and his involvement with contemporary radical thinkers.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
