1895 (printed 1913-1917)

The Woman II

Norwegian, 1863 - 1944

Edvard Munch, perhaps best known for his painting The Scream (1893), was also a prolific printmaker. This etching from 1895 revisits a subject that he painted the same year. The three female figures personify the artist’s conceptions of the changeable nature of woman as she progresses through life. On the left, the young Virgin innocently gazes at the moon and its phallic reflection in the water. In the center, the bold, open stance and direct gaze of a nude Temptress emphasize the seductive powers of a woman at the height of her sexuality. To the right, a Widow-Mother in black appears subdued by the trials of love and life.