Artwork
Marat in the Bath and Charlotte Corday
Marat in the Bath and Charlotte Corday is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1930 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1930 by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, *Marat in the Bath and Charlotte Corday* is an oil painting now held by the Munch Museum. The work merges two well‑known episodes from the French Revolution into a single, ambiguous tableau, pairing the assassin Charlotte Corday with the slain journalist Jean‑Paul Marat in a stark, confrontational composition.
Subject & Meaning
Munch juxtaposes Corday, shown in a dark dress and pink hat, clutching a red object that suggests a heart, with a partially concealed figure of Marat lying in a red‑blanketed bed. By merging the moment of Corday’s murder of Marat with the iconic image of Marat’s own death, the painting probes themes of violence, guilt, and the psychological aftermath of political extremism.
Technique & Style
The canvas employs bold, contrasting stripes of red and orange behind the left figure, while the right side is dominated by a deep crimson blanket. Munch’s post‑impressionist palette and loose brushwork emphasize emotional intensity over realistic detail, using color and simplified forms to convey inner turmoil rather than precise narrative.
History & Provenance
Munch painted the piece during a later phase of his career, when his interest in mental states and personal trauma had deepened. After its completion, the work entered the collection of the Munch Museum in Oslo, where it remains part of the permanent display of the artist’s oeuvre.
Context
The composition references Jacques-Louis David’s *The Death of Marat*, a seminal Revolutionary image, while inserting Corday—Marat’s assassin—into the same visual language. This dialogue between two historic moments reflects Munch’s fascination with how personal psychology intersects with public history, a concern that recurs throughout his body of work.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
