Edvard Munch
The Voice was presented as the first in a series Munch called Study in a series: Love. The series was the start of what was later to be called the Frieze of Life.
From the beginning of the 1890s there is a stronger sense of atmosphere in Munch’s pictures. We can see this in The Voice, where the deep blue hues and the long rhythmical lines reflecting the curves of the shoreline give the picture a feel of natural mysticism. In Munch’s works from this period we can sense the influence of Whistler, Böcklin, Van Gogh, and Gauguin.
The Voice was inspired by the nature around Åsgårdstrand, where Munch usually spent his summers. The beam of moonlight reflected in the water has been interpreted as a phallic symbol underlining the erotic content of the picture. According to Munch himself, the woman in the foreground refers to the memory of his first love, Milly Thaulow, a married woman he met in 1885, and who he later referred to in his notes as Fru Heiberg.
If you're curious - on our online magazine DailyArt we have collected Munch's photos in the article "Edvard Munch’s Life In Photos" - some of them are very very interesting. Enjoy!