Edvard Munch
1909
Oil paint on canvas
In the autumn of 1908, Munch suffered a nervous breakdown. He was treated for eight months at the clinic of Dr Jacobson in Copenhagen, where he was weaned off alcohol and tobacco, and helped to calm his volatile mental state. Partway through his stay, Munch turned his room at the clinic into a studio, where he produced this major self portrait. Painting played an important role in his recovery. In this work, brushstroke by brushstroke, Munch seems to piece himself back together. With its bold colours and clearly delineated strokes of paint, this self portrait was an artistic and personal breakthrough that marked a new era for the painter.