Escape to myself

I was blown away by this museum. A comprehensive view of Munch his life, his art and his themes and their interconnection. Of course like the Mona Lisa the Scream was almost impossible to see.

However the vast array of prints, paintings and drawings more than made up for it. The themes that coloured Munich’s art were displayed in an exemplary way: jealousy, death, the anxiety of life, the fear and joy of sex, loneliness; they show how Munch painted not what he sees but what he saw. These are emotional and cathartic works which resonate with the careful observer. His swift and excited brushwork and evolving system of signs make an indelible impression. His turbulent skies and extraordinary colour palette are a revelation and put him in the forefront of Post Impressionism. I was struck by the emotional parallels with Van Gogh