Edvard Munch
1888
Oil paint on unprimed cardboard
In the summer of 1888, Edvard Munch and his sister Inger visited the small coastal town of Åsgårdstrand on the Oslo Fjord, where he painted this portrait of her. Squinting under her wide-brimmed hat, Inger is bathed in dazzling sunlight. Munch’s swift brushwork conveys a sense of freshness and immediacy – we can imagine him painting outdoors, freed from the confines of the studio.
This is an early example of Munch’s work in Åsgårdstrand. He returned to the town regularly over many summers, using it as the setting for some of his most important works.