Boys Bathing

Boys Bathing is a significant color print created by the Norwegian Symbolist master Edvard Munch in 1896. This work, probably printed in collaboration with Parisian printmaker Porcaboeuf, exemplifies Munch's early exploration of emotionally charged figure studies and scenes of natural repose during his critical period working between Paris and Berlin.

Munch utilized a sophisticated technique for this piece, employing color burnished aquatint. The resulting impression on buff laid paper was meticulously inked à la poupée—a demanding process where different colors are applied directly to the plate using small wads of cloth. This manual method allowed Munch to achieve rich variations in tone and texture, giving his graphic prints the expressive, deeply colored qualities often associated with his contemporary paintings.

While Munch is perhaps best known for searing images focused on anxiety and relationship struggles, he also depicted simpler, often nostalgic scenes. Boys Bathing captures figures at leisure by the water, a subject related to the growing cultural interest in outdoor life and natural settings prevalent in Scandinavian art of the late 19th century. Munch's innovative approach to color printing secured his reputation as a master of graphic arts, setting his work apart from that of his contemporaries in Norway and Germany.

As one of the most celebrated artists from Norway, Munch’s artistic legacy is preserved globally. This specific impression of the print is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Due to the artwork’s age, high-resolution reproductions of this iconic print are often entering the public domain, ensuring that the study of Munch's groundbreaking graphic techniques remains widely accessible to scholars and enthusiasts alike.