Munch 1902 2

The Life of Edvard Munch

By htempleton

  • Born in Loten, Norway

    Munch born in Loten, Norway.

  • Mother dies of TB at the age of 30

    Her sister, Karen Bjolstad, takes over household.

  • Sister, Sophie, dies of TB at age 15

  • Enters Technical College to become an engineer

    Frequent illnesses interrupt his studies.

  • Leaves college to become a painter

  • Enrolls at the Royal School of Art and Design

    Paints his first self portrait.

  • Exhibits at the Industries and Art Exhibition

  • Works on The Sick Child

  • Father dies

    Also organizes a retrospective exhibition of 110 works at the Student Organization in Christiania and attends Bonnat School of Art in Paris.

  • Returns to Norway.

  • Health deteriorates, travels around Europe

    Rents a studio in Paris. Summer in Norway. Munch's health deteriorates through excessive drinking. Travels to Copenhagen, Nice, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Basle and Geneva.

  • Paintings become controversial

    Is invited by the Union of Berlin Artists, to exhibit at its November exhibition. Munch's paintings become the object of bitter controversy; after one week the exhibition is closed. Munch's paintings are shown at exhibitions in Dsseldorf, Copenhagen, Breslau, Dresden and Munich.

  • Berlin

    Takes up residence in Berlin. Meets and paints August Strindberg. Joins international circle of writers, artists and critics, including Ola Hannson, Richard Dehmal, Holger Drachmann and Gunnar Heiberg.

  • Produces first etchings and lithographs

  • Press urge boycott of Munch exhibit

    The press urge a boycott of Munch's exhibition at Blomquist's gallery in Christiania, Norway. The National Gallery of Oslo buys Self Portrait with Cigarette.

  • Moves to Paris

    A full-page reproduction of Madonna appears in the periodical L'Aube. Prints color lithographs and first woodcuts. His mental and physical health deteriorates.

  • Buys a house at Asgardstrand

    Where he will spend most of his summers until 1906.

  • Copenhagen, Berlin and Paris

  • Travels to Berlin, Paris, Florence and Rome

    Suffers from influenza, bronchitis and exhaustion.

  • "Frieze of Life"

    Exhibits the "Frieze of Life" at the Berlin Secession. During an argument Munch is wound by a gunshot and loses two finger joints in his left hand.

  • Meets Eva Mudocci, an English violinist

  • Sells 800 prints, but drinks heavily

    Sells 800 prints through Schiefler. Becomes a member of Berliner Secession. Munch now drinks heavily.

  • Attemps health cures at many spas

    Attempts health cures at various spas near Weimar. Travels to Berlin, Weimar and Jena.

  • Settles in Berlin

  • Nervous breakdown

    Edvard paints in Warnemnde, Rostock, Germany. Exhibits with the Brcke in Dresden. Complete nervous breakdown in autumn. Spends eight months at Dr. Jacobson's clinic.

  • An isolated poet

    Composes prose poem, "Alpha and Omega" with lithograph illustrations. Returns to Norway where he rents a house at Skrubben near Kragero. Munch isolates himself from the art world.

  • Participates in the Berlin Secession

  • Wins the Oslo University Aula competition

  • Resigns from the Berlin Secession

    Exhibits new versions of the "Frieze of Life" paintings at the Autumn Exhibition in Berlin with Picasso. Travels widely in Europe and visits New York.

  • San Francisco exhibition

    Munch exhibits graphic works at the Panama-Pacific International exhibition in San Francisco

  • Buys a house at Ekly, Norway

    Where he will live most of the rest of his life.

  • Book published about Munch

    Curt Glaser's book "Edvard Munch" is published in Berlin.

  • More European travels

    Travels to Berlin, Paris, Wiesbaden and Frankfurt. Buys work from German artists to support them.

  • Meember of the German Academy of Fine Art

  • Berlin and Oslo exhibitions

    Exhibits over 223 works at his retrospective exhibitions at the National Galleries in Berlin and Oslo.

  • Designs murals

    Designs murals for central hall, Oslo City Hall. Suffers from cysts in his right eye.

  • Blind

    Celebrates 70th birthday. A broken vessel in his right eye causes almost total blindness.

  • Munch refuses contact with the Nazis

    Germany invades Norway.

  • Died at age 80 in Oslo, Norway

    Shortly after his 80th birthday, on January 23, Edvard Munch dies peacefully at home in Ekely. Bequeaths 1,000 paintings, 15,400 prints, 4,500 drawings and watercolors, and 6 sculptures to the city of Oslo.