Artwork
Two Women under the Tree in the Garden
Two Women under the Tree in the Garden 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, *Two Women under the Tree in the Garden* is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. The work belongs to the collection of the Munch Museum and exemplifies the painter’s mature period, when he was turning personal experience into visual investigations of feeling and atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas presents a verdant garden where two women stand side by side. The figure on the left, dressed in white, lifts her arms overhead, while the woman in black on the right keeps her arms at her sides. The juxtaposition of light and dark clothing, together with the lush foliage, suggests a dialogue between contrasting emotional states.
Technique & Style
Executed with bold, expressive brushwork, the painting reflects Munch’s post‑impressionist approach. Vigorous strokes convey the texture of leaves and the movement of the figures, while a vivid palette of greens, whites, and blacks creates a dynamic tension between the natural setting and the human presence.
History & Provenance
Munch produced the work after a period of intense personal upheaval, drawing on his early experiences of illness and loss. He painted it while residing in Norway, influenced by his training at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania and his association with contemporary nihilist thought. The piece entered the Munch Museum’s holdings, where it remains on display.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
