Two Human Beings (The Lonely Ones)

The title Two Human Beings is a straightforward description of the motif of this graphic print; The Lonely Ones describes the picture's mood. Two figures with their backs to the viewer - a woman and a man - dominate the composition. The distance between them, the contrast between his dark and her light figure and the subtle twist in the man's torso towards the woman express both attraction and distance. The shore on which they stand and the water they are facing emphasise the mood of yearning and loneliness both thematically and visually. This black and white print is executed in drypoint, a technique which allows soft strokes and surface effects. Munch's finely tuned use of this technique and of half-tone, ranging from dazzling white through to fuzzy darkness, together with the intimate format and tight cropping of the subject, all enhance the tense calm of this love motif. Happy Tuesday everyone!