Artwork
Under the Chestnut Tree
Under the Chestnut Tree is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1937 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1937, *Under the Chestnut Tree* is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. Executed in a post‑impressionist idiom, the work presents a solitary woman positioned before a verdant canopy that suggests the foliage of a chestnut tree. The composition balances muted tones with brighter accents, conveying a tranquil atmosphere that contrasts with Munch’s more anguished subjects.
Subject & Meaning
The figure portrayed is identified as Hanna Brieschke, rendered in a blue blouse and a brown jacket speckled with dark spots. Her hair is gathered loosely, and her face is rendered without sharp detail, giving her a neutral, almost anonymous presence. The softened visage and calm setting invite contemplation of everyday poise rather than overt emotional drama.
Technique & Style
Munch employs confident brushwork that layers color to generate texture and depth, particularly in the surrounding foliage rendered in varied greens with touches of yellow and orange. The palette is vivid yet restrained, and the handling of paint suggests a glazing approach that enriches the surface while maintaining a sense of immediacy characteristic of his later post‑impressionist phase.
History & Provenance
The painting is part of the collection of the Munch Museum in Oslo, where it resides among works that trace the artist’s evolution from his early Symbolist period to his mature explorations of mood. Munch’s formal training at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania informed his lifelong focus on psychological nuance, a concern evident even in this comparatively serene piece.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
