Artwork
Self-Portrait at the Wedding Table
Self-Portrait at the Wedding Table is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1925 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Edvard Munch painted *Self‑Portrait at the Wedding Table* in 1925 with oil on canvas. The work shows the artist seated at a table, dressed in a dark suit and white shirt, his gaze lowered and his features softened. A window behind him lets in muted light, while a bottle and glass rest on the tabletop, contributing to a quiet, introspective atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait captures a solitary figure in a moment of contemplation, suggesting an inner melancholy that aligns with Munch’s lifelong focus on personal emotion. The blurred facial details and downward eyes convey a sense of withdrawal, perhaps reflecting the artist’s own experiences of loss and illness during his early years.
Technique & Style
Munch employs a restrained palette of subdued tones and a chiaroscuro treatment that models the figure’s form against the surrounding space. The soft edges and blurred contours are characteristic of his post‑impressionist approach, where expressive mood takes precedence over precise representation.
History & Provenance
Since its creation, the painting has remained within the holdings of the Munch Museum in Oslo, where it is displayed as part of the artist’s extensive oeuvre. The museum’s collection preserves the work as a representative example of Munch’s later self‑portraiture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
