Moonlight in Åsgårdstrand

Rolf E. Stenersen wrote that Edvard Munch found his "landscape" in Åsgårdstrand. 

This book is about Edvard Munch’s ties to Vestfold County, and in particular to Åsgårdstrand. He was inspired by the curving shore of the little town. Familiarity with its people and places led to a string of masterpieces in The Frieze of Life. The author puts the paintings and prints in their proper context, and the creative process behind the pictures can be followed from their conception as ideas in the artist’s sketchbooks. Through private correspondence with family and friends we gain a uniquely detailed insight into his daily life at the easel. Evenings spent in the company of boisterous friends come alive in texts and pictures. We meet the local people who were his neighbours, as well as everyday heroes and eccentrics of the village. Several were Munch’s models for famous paintings, including the iconic The Girls on the Bridge.

In this book, Munch’s career is followed chronologically. We can trace how the unique light conditions of the coastal landscape influenced his work – from his carefree youth, through various frieze commissions, to the brightly coloured works of his old age. The young Munch never turned down a chance to carouse with friends. It led to a string of dramatic episodes, including fistfights with other artists and the firing of pistol shots. The result was that in 1905 Munch felt compelled to flee Norway.

Munch’s love life and his relationships with women is also discussed. The principal focus, however, is on his artistic production. Åsgårdstrand was the stage for the painter’s characters, who acted out their deep emotions and needs, in the midst of a simple life by the sea. Munch’s moonlight pictures capture the twilight of the midsummer night. His full moons reflected in the fjord are known across the world. This richly illustrated study throws new light on the artist’s simple daily life close to the sea, the shore, and the forest.