Artwork
Nude with Red Skirt
Nude with Red Skirt is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1902 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1902, *Nude with Red Skirt* is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. The work belongs to the post‑impressionist period of his career and is part of the permanent collection of the Munch Museum in Oslo. It presents a solitary female figure against a muted backdrop, inviting quiet observation.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas shows a woman standing before a dark green wall, her back turned toward the viewer. She wears a bright red skirt and a white blouse, her hair pulled back, and holds a dark blue object as if about to place it on herself. The pose, combined with the restrained setting, conveys a moment of private contemplation and subtle vulnerability.
Technique & Style
Munch employs visible brushwork and a limited palette dominated by bold reds, whites, and deep blues, set against the subdued green background. The contrast of saturated color with the darker wall creates spatial depth, while the loose handling of paint emphasizes the immediacy of the scene, characteristic of his post‑impressionist approach.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the holdings of the Munch Museum, where it remains on display. The work reflects Munch’s early twentieth‑century output, a period marked by personal hardship and artistic experimentation, and it continues to be referenced in studies of his evolving treatment of the human figure.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
