The artwork entitled “Man and Woman II” is an expressionist painting created by Edvard Munch between 1912 and 1915. This oil on canvas genre painting measures 98 x 111.5 cm. As a piece that belongs to the Expressionism art movement, it reflects the artist’s internal view of the emotional and psychological state of the figures depicted. “Man and Woman II” is housed at the Munch Museum, located in Oslo, Norway.
In “Man and Woman II,” Munch uses intense and vivid colors, which is characteristic of his style during the Expressionist movement. The painting portrays a man and a woman in an interior setting. The man stands to the left in a somewhat shadowed, slouched posture with his face obscured, suggesting a sense of introspection or melancholy. The woman, on the other hand, is depicted standing erect to the right side of the artwork, dressed in dark clothing, with her face rendered in lighter hues and her expression more discernible, conveying perhaps a sense of resignation or contemplation. The background is highly stylized with bold lines and shapes that create a sense of depth and accentuate the psychological divide or interaction between the two figures. The use of distorted forms and exaggerated colors reflects the expressionist intent to evoke emotional responses rather than to reproduce a realistic depiction of the scene. Overall, the artwork encapsulates the tension and complexity inherent in human relationships, a recurring theme in Munch’s work.
