Artwork
Hatred
Hatred 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, *Hatred* is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. The work portrays a man and a woman positioned within an interior space, their faces marked by tension. The composition is dominated by a vivid, non‑naturalistic background of purples, greens and yellows, while the figures are rendered in contrasting dark and light clothing.
Subject & Meaning
The two figures appear locked in an emotional standoff: the male figure looks downward, the female gazes directly ahead, suggesting an undercurrent of discord or resentment. Munch’s focus on the inner psychological state rather than narrative detail aligns the piece with his broader investigation of human anxiety and relational strain.
Technique & Style
Executed in a post‑impressionist manner, the painting employs bold, expressive brushwork and a saturated palette that heightens the sense of unease. Munch abandons realistic representation in favor of distorted forms and color fields, using the vivid background to amplify the emotional charge of the scene.
History & Provenance
*Hatred* entered the collection of the Munch Museum in Oslo, where it remains part of the permanent holdings. The work belongs to the later phase of Munch’s career, a period marked by intensified exploration of personal and existential themes following his earlier Symbolist productions.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
