Synopses & Reviews
Although almost everyone recognizes Edvard Munchand#8217;s famous painting
The Scream, hardly anyone knows much about the man. What kind of person could have created this universal image, one that so vividly expressed all the uncertainties of the twentieth century? What kind of experiences did he have? In this book, the first comprehensive biography of Edvard Munch in English, Sue Prideaux brings the artist fully to life. Combining a scholarand#8217;s precision with a novelistand#8217;s insight, she explores the events of his turbulent life and unerringly places his experiences in their intellectual, emotional, and spiritual contexts.
With unlimited access to tens of thousands of Munchand#8217;s papers, including his letters and diaries, Prideaux offers a portrait of the artist that is both intimate and moving. Munch sought to paint what he experienced rather than what he saw, and as his life often veered out of control, his experiences were painful. Yet he painted throughout his long life, creating strange and dramatic works in which hysteria and violence lie barely concealed beneath the surface. An extraordinary genius, Munch connects with an audience that reaches around the world and across more than a century.
Synopsis
What kind of person could have created 'The Scream', the painting that expresses most vividly the uncertainties and anguish of the twentieth century? This intimate and moving biography brings Norwegian artist Edvard Munch to life, exploring his turbulent early years, his later years as a recluse, and his efforts to paint not what he saw, but what he experienced. 'A magisterial portrait of a deeply troubled man.' Frances Spalding, 'Sunday Times' 'anyone who wants to know how and why Munch painted as he did should read this book.' Tom Rosenthal, 'Independent on Sunday' 'it is packed with information and event. Few biographies of artists can be described as gripping. This often is.' Martin Gayford, 'Sunday Telegraph' 'an absorbing account of the social and intellectual forces, as well as the personal demons, that Munch struggled against - or solicited - in order to create.' Alan Jenkins, 'Times Literary Supplement' 'It is among Prideaux's achievements to give us a thousand details that pull Munch into sharper focus.' Christopher Riopelle, 'Apollo Magazine' 'Prideaux sorts out Munch's work and his difficult life with a scholar's eye for history and a novelist's eye for anecdotes.' Gwen Gibson, 'Washington Times' 'An assured and vivid biography.' Peter Schjeldahl, 'New Yorker'
Synopsis
The biography of the artist who created the most haunting icon of the twentieth century
Although almost everyone recognizes Edvard Munch's famous painting The Scream, hardly anyone knows much about the man. What kind of person could have created this universal image, one that so vividly expressed all the uncertainties of the twentieth century? What kind of experiences did he have? In this book, the first comprehensive biography of Edvard Munch in English, Sue Prideaux brings the artist fully to life. Combining a scholar's precision with a novelist's insight, she explores the events of his turbulent life and unerringly places his experiences in their intellectual, emotional, and spiritual contexts. With unlimited access to tens of thousands of Munch's papers, including his letters and diaries, Prideaux offers a portrait of the artist that is both intimate and moving. Munch sought to paint what he experienced rather than what he saw, and as his life often veered out of control, his experiences were painful. Yet he painted throughout his long life, creating strange and dramatic works in which hysteria and violence lie barely concealed beneath the surface. An extraordinary genius, Munch connects with an audience that reaches around the world and across more than a century.
About the Author
Sue Prideaux is an art historian and the author of four novels.