Artwork
Head by Head
Head by Head is a charcoal painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1905 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1905, *Head by Head* is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. The work presents a pair of faces placed opposite each other against a muted beige backdrop. It is part of the Munch Museum’s permanent collection and exemplifies the artist’s turn toward a more expressive, post‑impressionist visual language.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas shows two heads turned in opposite directions: the figure on the right bears dark, straight hair and a neutral gaze, while the left‑hand profile features wavy dark hair and a slightly more animated expression. The juxtaposition of the two profiles, set against a simple background, invites contemplation of inner dialogue and the tension between outward calm and concealed emotion.
Technique & Style
Munch employs vigorous, gestural brushwork and a vivid yet restrained palette, allowing color and line to convey psychological intensity. The contrast between the bold strokes outlining the heads and the soft, almost flat field of beige creates a visual push‑pull that heightens the sense of emotional unease characteristic of his later post‑impressionist phase.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the holdings of the Munch Museum in Oslo, where it remains on display. The work was produced during a period when Munch was consolidating his reputation for exploring personal angst through a modernist approach, following his earlier, more symbolist pieces.
Context
Munch’s formative years were marked by family illness and loss, experiences that deeply informed his artistic preoccupations. His association with the radical writer Hans Jæger during studies at Kristiania’s Royal School of Art and Design reinforced a nihilistic outlook, which surfaces in the stark psychological confrontation evident in *Head by Head*.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
