Artwork
Summer at Ekely
Summer at Ekely is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1921 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1921, *Summer at Ekely* is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. The work presents a rural landscape featuring a modest house, scattered trees, rolling hills, and a sky marked by blue expanses and white clouds. Its palette is dominated by greens and yellows, punctuated by touches of red and brown, and the composition conveys a tranquil yet lively summer scene.
Subject & Meaning
The painting captures a moment of countryside leisure, emphasizing the interplay of light and foliage. While the scene appears straightforward, Munch’s focus on color and form suggests an underlying emotional resonance, reflecting his interest in how ordinary settings can evoke personal moods and psychological states.
Technique & Style
Munch employs loose, expressive brushwork that animates the surface, creating a sense of movement across the hills and sky. The post‑impressionist approach is evident in the vivid, non‑naturalistic colors and the emphasis on the artist’s perception rather than strict realism, allowing the landscape to pulse with energy.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the collection of the Munch Museum in Oslo, where it remains on display. The work reflects Munch’s mature period, following his formal training at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania, and it illustrates the evolution of his artistic concerns toward landscape subjects.
Context
*Summer at Ekely* belongs to a phase when Munch explored themes beyond his earlier existential portraits, turning toward the natural world to investigate mood and atmosphere. The piece aligns with broader post‑impressionist trends in early‑20th‑century Europe, where artists used color and brushstroke to convey subjective experience rather than precise representation.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
