Weeping Nude

Edvard Munch is described ad nauseam as the iconic Nordic, tormented 19th century painter. His most famous piece, the pastel-on-board version of The Scream that sold at Sotheby’s for £73,921,284 in May 2012, depicts a deeply traumatic scene where a man screams in agony against the backdrop of a red, sinister sky. Unfortunately perhaps, The Scream series has somehow eclipsed Munch’s prolific body of work—drawings, paintings, and prints that show a magnificent diversity in terms of subject, resonance, and style.

Weeping Nude is a superb work that has hints of a strong dash of Cézanne and a jigger of Matisse but a taste purely Munch's. It is quite magnificent as are a few other large works in which he concentrates on women, especially those with long hair. The room, with its nauseating patterned wallpapers and flat perspective, projects a feeling of unease, even claustrophobia. Anxiety and suffering, this is what this painting is all about.