This magnet was published for the exhibition "Edvard Munch. A Poem of Life, Love and Death", at the Musée d'Orsay from September 20th, 2022 to January 22nd, 2023.
Edvard Munch (1863 - 1944)
Vampire (detail), 1895
Oil on canvas. H. 91 ; l. 109 cm
Oslo, Munchmuseet
© Photo Munchmuseet
© Rmn - Grand...
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This magnet was published for the exhibition "Edvard Munch. A Poem of Life, Love and Death", at the Musée d'Orsay from September 20th, 2022 to January 22nd, 2023.
Edvard Munch (1863 - 1944)
Vampire (detail), 1895
Oil on canvas. H. 91 ; l. 109 cm
Oslo, Munchmuseet
© Photo Munchmuseet
© Rmn - Grand Palais, Paris 2022
«Instead of the Vampire, I'd rather have The Flower of Love. I think it is far more significant. Vampire is a bit of a joke», Edvard Munch wrote in a letter to the artist and writer Pola Gauguin in 1932.
At this time, Gauguin was working on a book about the artist, and they discussed the picture selection. But why did Munch wish to remove Vampire from the book? And why did he write that the picture was meant as a joke? Did he really mean it, and if so - why?
Vampire was created in 1893 in Berlin, at about the same time as The Scream and Madonna. Today, the motif is considered one of the absolute highlights of Munch's career. Vampire exists in several versions, both as paintings, drawings and prints.
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