August Strindberg

August Strindberg is a significant 1896 lithograph created by Edvard Munch Norwegian, 1863-1944, produced on cream wove paper. This powerful print captures the volatile intellectual rivalry and deep artistic connection between the Norwegian artist and the celebrated Swedish playwright and novelist. The 1890s was a formative period for Munch in Paris and Berlin, where he encountered Strindberg and began experimenting extensively with the burgeoning medium of printmaking. The choice of lithography allowed Munch to leverage sharp contrasts and simplified forms, techniques essential for conveying the subject's intense psychological energy, a hallmark of both men’s contributions to Symbolist and early Expressionist art.

Munch developed his printmaking skills rapidly during this era, recognizing that the reproducible nature of prints was vital for disseminating his intensely personal and often disturbing expressive style throughout Europe. The portrait, often noted for its stark, almost ghostlike composition, reflects the period's cultural preoccupation with anxiety, isolation, and the troubled psyche of the genius. While Strindberg was often critical of Munch’s work, their shared thematic concerns placed them at the vanguard of Scandinavian modernism.

This work remains a key document illustrating the expressive power of the black-and-white print medium at the turn of the century. The piece is classified as a print within the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a valuable record of the cultural exchange and dramatic tension between these two titan figures of 19th-century Norway and Sweden.