Artwork
Snow Shovellers on the Building Site
Snow Shovellers on the Building Site is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1931 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1931, this oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch portrays a winter construction site where workers are clearing snow. The canvas captures a snowy urban landscape with buildings and trees receding into the background, while the foreground is occupied by several laborers in dark attire, each engaged in the act of shoveling.
Subject & Meaning
The work presents a straightforward genre scene of everyday labor, yet it also reflects Munch’s ongoing interest in the human condition. By focusing on the concentrated effort of the figures, the painting suggests themes of perseverance and the quiet dignity of work amid harsh weather.
Technique & Style
Executed with a loose, expressive brushwork, the painting employs vivid, contrasting colors that heighten the sense of movement. Visible strokes and occasional impasto give the surface texture, while the dynamic arrangement of figures and background elements creates a rhythmic flow across the canvas.
History & Provenance
The piece is part of the collection of the Munch Museum, which houses many of the artist’s later works. It remains an example of Munch’s post‑impressionist period, during which he continued to explore psychological expression through everyday subjects.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
