Object number1981.79
Kyss IV
Datec. 1897-1902
Artist
Edvard Munch
(Norwegian, 1863-1944)
CultureNorwegian
MediumWoodcut printed from two color blocks
DimensionsImage: 18 1/2 x 17 3/4 in. (47 x 45.1 cm)
Sheet: 25 3/16 x 21 5/8 in. (64 x 55 cm)
Mount: 28 x 22 in. (71.1 x 55.9 cm)
Matted: 30 x 24 in. (76.2 x 61 cm)
Sheet: 25 3/16 x 21 5/8 in. (64 x 55 cm)
Mount: 28 x 22 in. (71.1 x 55.9 cm)
Matted: 30 x 24 in. (76.2 x 61 cm)
Credit LineGift of Philip and Lynn Straus, class of 1946
Period19th c / 20th c
Classification(s)
SignedOn recto, signed lower right in pencil: E Munch
Catalogue raisonnéWoll 204BibliographyBlack, Peter and Magne Bruteig. Edvard Munch: Prints. Glasgow: Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, 2009, cat. 33, pp. 36, 47, 71, 82, 83, 97, 116
Clarke, Jay A.. In Becoming Edvard Munch: Influence, Anxiety, and Myth. Chicago: The Art Institute of Chicago, 2009, p. 153, fig. 168
Prelinger, Elizabeth. Edvard Munch: Master Prints. Washington D.C.: The National Gallery of Art, 2010, pp. 27-38Vassar Exhibitions
Label TextDuring a five-year period between 1897 and 1902, Edvard Munch experimented with woodblock printmaking to produce five different versions of The Kiss. Utilizing separate blocks for printing the figures and background, an intertwined couple embraces within an abstracted setting of printed wood grain. With this approach, the print reveals both the artistic process and the composition, a practice that would greatly influence future generations of artists.
DescriptionAn intertwined couple embraces in a kiss within an abstracted background of printed wood grain. Their bodies create an organic shape of simplified form where few lines indicate the outline of their faces, hands, and arms.
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Andrea Andreani
1599
Culture: Italian
