Experience some of the largest paintings ever created by Edvard Munch in a dedicated double-height space. These enormous artworks are versions of the paintings made by Munch for the University of Oslo’s Ceremonial Hall in connection with the university’s centenary in 1911. Munch and several other artists were invited to compete for the commission and Munch worked tirelessly for years, producing several hundred preparatory works and sketches. In order to work on this massive scale, he built a series of outdoor studios at his home where he created several versions of each motif in different sizes.
We invite visitors to take an inside look at Munch’s creative process for his first major project for a public space, showing how he succeeded in realizing these works through an extraordinary combination of energy, resourcefulness and persistence. We present The Sun as a new departure in Munch’s career, symbolizing the power and ingenuity of life, and as a work that encompasses a number of narratives linked to the natural sciences, religion and the birth of the universe.
