Customer Reviews (1)

an intimate's view of the expressionist
I bought this little paperback when visiting the Bergen art center. The woman at the gift/book shop asked if I had read it . I confessed I hadn't . At first I balked , I saw it again at a Bergen book store.I looked at it again . Munch explains his attitude to women in the chapter woman and death. His depiction of a woman as a vampireexpresses his fear of woman. He thought women weakened a man and that destroyed his creativity.We learn that Munch hated Vigeland,the sculpture of the huge park in Oslo.Norway spent over a million dollars on Vigeland's work ,money he felt would have been better spent on him.Stenersen tries to show the intimate side of Munch. Most of the biographries of the artist further aggrandize the artist.From Stenersen,we learn that his artist/friend Karsten (who he once got into a brawl with) he consideredhis color was better than his. Munch felt his black and whites were his best.Stenersen has succeeded in his sub-title, "a close up of a genius."I have over fouteen books on Munch . I started reading it in the harbor on the boat to Stavanger.. It was easy and a pleasure to read, for someone like myself who has read many books on Munch,or for the person who wants to get an insiders view of the artist it is worthwhile.There are portraits of the author and his wife plus all of the famous images of death and love that made Munch famous.The latter have over-shadowed the socially conscious side of Munch. He would have voted a liberal or labor ticket had he voted according to the author.178 pages of details of a king pin of Expressionism for a few dollars you will be rewarded with insight and information of Norway's contribution to radical 20th century art. ... Read more

Product Description
A team of international scholars analyze and illuminate a crucial period of Munch's development, as he became the catalyst of modern Expressionism. ... Read more