UK to feature Norwegian master’s portraits with unseen works

In a recent article, The Guardian reveals that the UK's National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is set to host a groundbreaking exhibition in March, focusing exclusively on the portraits of Norwegian master Edvard Munch. 

At first, it appears to be a captivating portrait by Edvard Munch, painted in 1892, just a year before he created his iconic work, The Scream. However, if you look closely at the man's sleeve along the lower edge, two ghostly figures embracing in a mysterious moonlit setting come into view.

This fascinating "painting within a painting" by Edvard Munch, one of the 20th century's most influential artists and a pioneer of expressionism, will be displayed for the first time in the UK following its rediscovery. It is set to be revealed at the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) in March as part of a major exhibition titled Edvard Munch Portraits.

The subject of the painting was Munch's friend Thor Lütken, a lawyer who provided him with professional assistance and spent summers with him on the Oslo fjord.

Lütken's daughter also features in Munch's painting The Girls on the Bridge (1901).

The portrait of Lütken, an oil on canvas, had previously been listed as "location unknown" in the comprehensive catalogue of Munch's works.

The subject of the painting was Munch's friend Thor Lütken, a lawyer who provided him with professional assistance and spent summers with him on the Oslo fjord.

Lütken's daughter also features in Munch's painting The Girls on the Bridge (1901).

The portrait of Lütken, an oil on canvas, had previously been listed as "location unknown" in the comprehensive catalogue of Munch's works.

The exhibition curator, Alison Smith, noted that the symbolism of the concealed landscape is open to various interpretations.

 “The figures reprise the lovers in Munch’s Kiss by the Window and those in the distance of Melancholy, while also anticipating Death and Life of 1894 …

“Painted in shades of inky blue reminiscent of his other symbolist works, the scene alludes to death as well as romance, evoking feelings on the outer edges of consciousness.

“The portrait was intended as a gift to the sitter, which helps explain the encoded message and why Munch felt free to experiment with the subject.”

She added: “You’ll sometimes walk past a painting and just think that’s just a portrait. But this one lures you in. It’s got an intriguing mystery.”

Sue Prideaux, a Munch biographer, said: “It’s a top-quality portrait from Munch’s most important period – the same year as Vampire and Madonna and just a year before The Scream. The ghostly landscape with the figure in white bears echoes of many paintings, particularly Mermaid and Young Girl on a Jetty. We’ll be trying to unravel the mysteries of this painting for years to come.”

The Munch exhibition at the NPG will be the first in the UK to solely concentrate on his portraits, with most of the artworks being unfamiliar to British audiences.

By Naila Huseynova