Munch Museum

Munchmuseet

The Munch Museum in Oslo shows the life and work of the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (1863 - 1944). Among other things, numerous works are exhibited, which the world-famous artist bequeathed to the city during his lifetime in 1940.

Munchmuseet

Edvard Munch is considered one of the outstanding representatives of the style of symbolism. In addition to a total of more than 1,700 paintings, he also produced a number of graphics and drawings during his lifetime, parts of which can also be admired in the Munch Museum. The museum was inaugurated in 1963 and is one of the main attractions of the city. The architects responsible for its construction were Fougnerud and Myklebust, the latter of whom also participated in the expansion of the Munch Museum in the early 1990s.

Construction of the museum

In 1994, the "new" Munch Museum was inaugurated, exactly on the 50th anniversary of Munch's death. The construction of the museum was initially financed by the income from the cinemas in Oslo. The expansion was then sponsored by a Japanese company, without this being unpleasantly noticeable during a visit to the Munch Museum.

It is located in the Toyen district in the east of Oslo. Every year, an ever-increasing number of visitors seek out the Munch Museum, whose original building was constructed in the typical style of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

However, as it holds more than half of all Edvard Munch's works, the space became too small over the years. The museum owns no less than 1,150 paintings, 15,000 prints, 4,700 sculptures and several other records and artistic expressions by Munch.

In addition to his most famous work, "The Scream", the following very well-known paintings can be found in the Munch Museum:

Melancholy
Vampire
Red and white
Death in the sickroom
The yellow tree trunk
Self portrait with wine bottle

In addition, of course, you will also learn extensive information about the life of the artist himself. Information that is even prepared for the hearing and visually impaired, which is just as true for the guided tours in the house.

"The Scream"

If the Munch Museum is already known worldwide, it gained additional attention through no less than two successful art heists. Both times, Edvard Munch's undoubtedly most famous work was the target of the robbers, "The Scream." Likewise, the painting was recovered both times, so that it presents itself to visitors today. The fact that the second robbery resulted in non-restorable but minor damage to the painting does not make the experience of seeing "The Scream" with one's own eyes any less impressive.