Edvard Munch & Mental Illness

Molly Cannon
Sponsor: Traci Stark
Who was Edvard Munch?

● Edvard Munch was a Norwegian

painter and printmaker

● He was born in December of 1863

in Norway

● Some of his most famous works

include The Scream, Anxiety, and
Jealousy
Edvard Munch’s Childhood
● Grew up in what is now known as Oslo,
Norway

● Mother died when he was 5 years old, left

him with 4 other siblings

● When he was 14, his oldest sister also

passed from Tuberculosis

The Sick Child By: Munch

Why did Edvard Munch Start Painting?

● Become used to being

alone at a young age.
○ Time to learn to draw

● At 18 Edvard enrolled in
art school
○ Discovered his mentor
Hans Jaeger
○ Influenced Munch’s
style
 VS

A painting about the A painting about the

death of Munch’s sister death of Munch’s father
What Mental Illnesses Did Edvard
Munch Have?

● Developed depression and

anxiety from a young age

● Later in life he developed

symptoms similar to
schizophrenia, although it
has not been confirmed that
he had the disease
How was Edvard Munch’s Artwork
Seen?

● His first painting “The Sick

Child” received criticism, but it
put Munch’s name out into the
world

● In Berlin Munch created a

world name for himself, he
created some of his most
iconic paintings, including “The
Scream”
What Makes Art “Click” for people?
So How does TikTok Relate to Edvard Munch?

● This is the reason why Munch became

famous

● In almost all of his paintings, he conveyed

feelings that people could relate to

● Even if people did not have as extreme of

mental illnesses as Munch, they can still feel
more mild forms of anxiety or sadness and
could relate to Munch’s paintings that way
 How were Munch’s Adult Years?

● Never married or had kids and developed

a severe drinking problem

● One more person played an

important role in Munch’s life, but not
for the better, Tulla Larsen

● Had a one sided relationship

○ Presented Munch with marriage
papers which he “lost”
 The End of Their Relationship

● After not seeing each other

for over a year, Tulla begged
Munch to meet

● At the meeting an argument

ensued and Edvard shot
himself in the hand with a
revolver
Munch’s portrayal of his
surgery after shooting his
finger off. Munch denied
anesthesia so that he could
remember this event to paint it.
 Munch’s “Midlife” Crisis

● Munch began drinking much

more

● In 1908 Munch collapsed

● Convinced by his old roommate

to check into a sanitarium

● This reduced his drinking and

brought some of his mental
stability back
Why did Munch Not Seek Help Sooner?

"My fear of life is necessary to

me, as is my illness," he once
wrote. "Without anxiety and
illness, I am a ship without a
rudder....My sufferings are part
of my self and my art. They are
indistinguishable from me, and
their destruction would destroy
my art."
 Edvard Munch’s Last Paintings

● In older years, lived a life of total

isolation
○ Claimed that this was
necessary

● Munch died in 1944, at the age of

80

● One of Munch’s last paintings was

titled “Self-portrait Between the
Clock and the Bed”.
Thank you!

Questions?