Artwork
Draft for a Decoration
Draft for a Decoration is a charcoal painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1925 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1925, *Draft for a Decoration* is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. Executed on a large, narrow support, the work functions as a preparatory study rather than a finished composition. It is held in the collection of the Munch Museum, which houses the majority of the painter’s output.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas depicts a gathering of figures arranged in varied postures, rendered in simplified outline. The composition suggests a decorative scheme, with the participants positioned as elements of a larger ornamental design rather than as a narrative scene. The ambiguous setting invites contemplation of social interaction as a formal motif.
Technique & Style
Munch employed thin, green contour lines to define the bodies, while selective areas are overpainted with blocks of red, blue, and purple, creating a restrained palette against a stark white ground. The approach reflects his post‑impressionist interest in expressing mood through color and line, emphasizing psychological over literal representation.
History & Provenance
The painting emerged during a period when Munch was revisiting decorative projects after his earlier expressionist phase. It remained in his studio until it entered the Munch Museum’s holdings, where it is displayed alongside related studies that illustrate his process of developing larger decorative schemes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
