Death and the Woman

Death and the Woman is a pivotal 1894 drypoint by the Norwegian Symbolist master Edvard Munch (1863-1944). This specific impression, executed on cream laid paper, demonstrates the intense expressive capability Munch achieved in his graphic output during the 1890s. The technical execution of the piece involves the drypoint method, where the image is incised directly into the metal plate, producing characteristic burr that gives the lines a rich, velvety quality. The work was printed under the supervision of the German specialist Otto Felsing, who helped Munch translate his intense subjects into reproducible forms.

The subject matter relates directly to Munch’s defining project, The Frieze of Life, a collection of works exploring the existential anxieties of modern European man: love, suffering, and mortality. While visually spare, the composition presents a primal confrontation, generally interpreted as a figure of a woman caught in the shadow of Death. Munch frequently utilized symbolic figures and landscape elements to externalize internal psychological states, a central principle of the Symbolist movement sweeping across Norway and continental Europe at the time.

Munch’s mastery of graphic media allowed him to disseminate his radical vision widely. His production of prints—including lithographs, etchings, and drypoints—was instrumental in establishing him as a key figure in Expressionism. This work exemplifies the artist’s characteristic blend of profound emotionality and stark visual simplification. The graphic intensity of the drypoint technique perfectly underscores the somber subject. This important piece is housed in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, contributing significantly to the understanding of Munch's evolving graphic narratives. Scholars frequently consult high-quality reproductions of this work as it belongs to a period of artistic creation often made available through public domain resources.