Artwork

Model by the Wicker Chair

Model by the Wicker Chair, by Edvard Munch, oil, 1919
Model by the Wicker Chair, by Edvard Munch, oil, 1919

Model by the Wicker Chair is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1919 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1919, *Model by the Wicker Chair* is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. Executed during the later phase of his career, the work belongs to his post‑impressionist period, where psychological depth and emotional intensity dominate the composition. The canvas is part of the permanent collection of the Munch Museum in Oslo.

Subject & Meaning

The painting portrays a nude woman, identified as Annie Fjeldbu, standing in an interior space. Her body is turned slightly left, hair flowing down her back, while her gaze is directed downward, suggesting a moment of private contemplation. The presence of a wicker chair to her right adds a modest domestic reference, reinforcing the intimate atmosphere.

Technique & Style

Munch employs vigorous brushwork and a vivid palette that energizes the scene. Warm, earthy tones dominate the background, contrasting with the darker hues of the figure’s hair and skin. The dynamic strokes convey movement and emotional tension, hallmarks of Munch’s post‑impressionist approach to expressing inner states through visual means.

History & Provenance

The work emerged from Munch’s mature period, following his formal training at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania and his association with the radical writer Hans Jæger, who advocated introspective art. After its creation, the painting entered the collection of the Munch Museum, where it remains on display.

Context

During the early twentieth century, Munch turned increasingly toward nude studies as a vehicle for exploring vulnerability and psyche. *Model by the Wicker Chair* reflects this preoccupation, situating a solitary figure within a simple interior to foreground emotional resonance over narrative detail, a concern shared by many of his contemporaries in the Nordic avant‑garde.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Edvard Munch

Artist

Edvard Munch

Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.

Munch Museum

Museum

Munch Museum

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This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Munch Museum open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.