The artwork entitled “Girl Yawning” is an oil on canvas created by the renowned artist Edvard Munch in 1913. This piece belongs to the Expressionism movement, exemplified by its emotive and often psychological portrayal of subjects. Measuring at 110 x 100 cm, this genre painting forms part of the Rolf Stenersen Collection located in Bergen, Norway. It represents a vivid exploration of human expression, capturing a moment of everyday life with a deep emotional resonance.
In the artwork, we observe a figure seated on what appears to be a red chair or couch. Her body is relaxed, and she seems to be in the midst of a yawn, with her mouth wide open, illustrating a moment of unguarded expression. Munch’s brushwork is loose and fluid, contributing to the overall feeling of movement and the transient nature of the subject’s action. The color palette is rich, with warm tones dominating the scene and hinting at the interior setting, possibly within a private room where moments of personal repose like this one can occur without restraint or self-consciousness.
The background and surrounding objects are depicted with less detail, allowing the viewer’s focus to remain on the central figure and her expression. Despite the use of seemingly discordant colors and the abstracted form, the subject’s emotion is palpable, embodying the ethos of Expressionism, which prioritizes internal experience over external form. The artwork is striking in its ability to convey the mood and atmosphere through color, composition, and the raw portrayal of a candid human moment.
