Edvard Munch
1904-05
Oil paint on canvas
Male bathers by the sea was a recurring subject in Edvard Munch’s art during the 1900s. The painter was particularly interested in exploring the vitality of the human body and the rejuvenating power of the sun. Here, Munch depicts a group of boys sunbathing on the rocks in the fishing town of Åsgårdstrand, where he spent many summers. His friend Christian Gierløff described their carefree days: ‘No one is bothered about swimming costumes here, the gentle guts of warm July wind are the only fabric between us and the sun’. Munch’s loose handling of paint with drips and a watery transparency, is at one with his subject matter. He likely painted the picture on the shore itself.