Artwork
Woman with Small Boy
Woman with Small Boy is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1930 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1930, *Woman with Small Boy* is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. Executed in a post‑impressionist manner, the work presents a figure of a woman accompanied by a child within an open, grassy landscape. The composition is held by the Munch Museum, forming part of the artist’s later output.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait features Annie Fjeldbu, a woman dressed in a long purple coat and light hat, walking beside a young boy in a vivid red sailor suit and white cap. Their forward movement across the field suggests a moment of everyday intimacy, while the surrounding figures and trees recede into loosely rendered background space.
Technique & Style
Munch applied the paint with a heavy impasto, allowing thick, textured strokes to remain visible on the canvas. The palette relies on saturated purples, reds, and greens that stand apart rather than blend, giving the scene a luminous, almost tactile quality. The brushwork is expressive, emphasizing emotional resonance over precise detail.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the collection of the Munch Museum, where it remains on display. Munch’s formal training at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania informed his development of a style focused on psychological depth, a concern evident in this later work.
Context
The piece belongs to the period when Munch was revisiting themes of familial connection and everyday life, moving beyond the darker motifs of his earlier career. By employing post‑impressionist techniques, he aligned himself with broader European trends while retaining his distinctive focus on inner feeling.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
