The Child and Death

Edvard Munch encountered death at an early age. His mother passed away when he was just six, and his sister followed a few years later. The death of his father in 1889 sent him into a profound crisis. Against this backdrop, it is unsurprising that themes of death, fear, and grief repeatedly surfaced in Munch's work. Reflecting on his traumatic childhood, Munch later wrote: “My home was the home of illness and death. I have never gotten over the calamity there. It has also influenced my art.”

The Child and Death is one of Munch’s most powerful explorations of dying and grief. It depicts a young girl looking outward, her hands covering her ears, while her deceased mother lies in the background. True to Munch's style, the focus is not on the deceased but on the emotional state of the living—in this case, the girl's silent terror. Unlike the figure in The Scream, who expresses anguish with a cry, this child is frozen in fear, unable to vocalize her pain.

P.S. Take a look at Munch's portrayals of death. In them, the artist brilliantly combines life and death, love and terror, and the feeling of loneliness. Apart from painting, he was also interested in photography! Are you curious to see Edvard Munch's life in photos?

P.P.S. For more stories on the famous Norwegian, see the articles below.