Edvard Munch: love and angst, British Museum - ★★★★★ - Until July 21, 2019


There is so much more to Edvard Munch than "The Scream." The image that is so popularized, parodied and used in memes remains a definitive symbol for the modern world experience, but this exhibition places it in the context of Munch's canon and restores it to its place in the frieze of life that the artist evoked. This rich exhibition of the artist's prints draws heavily on the collection of Norway's Munch museum, and the selected work illustrates a mastery of print media and the obsessions with love in torment, anguish and isolation, sadness and death that Munch is known for. The intention of the show is not to be chronological but the kiosks evoking Kristiania, Berlin and Paris at the time of the artist offer an important counterpoint to the work and its transcendent nature. Munch's work is always personal and specific, dealing with the death of his sister or his own experiences of love and angst, but from these he is able to draw the universal which so powerfully resonates. It is not accidental that the image he is best known for is constantly evolving and accreting new meanings for its viewers. This is the largest exhibition of Munch's prints in the UK in 45 years. Don't wait until next time!

Reviewed by J.C.

 Our Score:  ☆☆☆☆☆ 

WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE:
Until July 21, 2019
Sat - Thu: 10 am - 5:30 pm 
Fri: 10 am - 8:30 pm  
Last entry 80 minutes before closing
Room 35, The Sir Joseph Hotung Great Court Gallery
The British Museum
Nearest tube: Russell Square
www.britishmuseum.org/Munch

Most Popular

It Runs in the Family ★★★★ The Mill at Sonning | Feb 13 - Apr 12, 2025

St. Martin in-the-fields: Lunchtime Concerts ★★★★ FREE

Clueless - The Musical ★★★★ Trafalgar Theatre | Until September 27, 2025

Edvard Munch Portraits ★★★★ National Portrait Gallery | Mar 13 - Jun 15, 2025

Retrograde ★★★★★ Apollo Theatre | Mar 8 - Jun 14, 2025

Men’s Business ★★ Finborough Theatre | Mar 18 - Apr 12, 2025

Astonishing Things: The Drawings of Victor Hugo ★★★★ Royal Academy of Arts | Mar 21 - Jun 29, 2025

Punch ★★★★★ Young Vic | Mar 1 - Apr 26, 2025

Wilko: Love and Death and Rock 'n' Roll ★★★ Southwark Playhouse, Borough | Mar 20 - Apr 19, 2025

José María Velasco: A View of Mexico ★★★★ The National Gallery | Mar 29 - Aug 17, 2025

The City Life Magazine | Reviews & Ratings