Jealousy I by Edvard Munch Norwegian, 1863-1944, printed by M. W. Lassally German, late 19th-early 20th century, is a definitive graphic expression of the psychological tension characterizing the artist’s output during the 1890s. Executed in 1896, this powerful image is a print, specifically a lithograph in black on delicate ivory Japanese paper. The classification of the work as a lithograph underscores Munch’s technical mastery in translating intense, subjective emotional states into stark, graphic imagery, utilizing the medium’s inherent flatness and dramatic contrast to amplify the emotional charge.
Munch, who hailed from Norway, frequently explored existential themes of anxiety, love, and deep psychological distress. Jealousy I is closely related to the artistic program of his Frieze of Life, a sequence of works dedicated to charting the progression of modern human emotion and its attendant turmoil. In this particular depiction, the composition focuses intensely on a central figure whose anguished or possessive expression dominates the foreground, suggesting a moment of crisis or inner turmoil. Munch often utilized prints like this to quickly distribute his highly personal iconography across Europe, establishing him as a crucial figure in the burgeoning movements of Symbolism and Expressionism. The deliberate starkness achieved in this particular edition enhances the sense of isolation and internal conflict experienced by the subject, reflecting the era’s fin-de-siècle anxieties.
The collaboration with professional German printers like Lassally was essential in ensuring the technical quality and longevity of Munch's fragile paper works, enabling the broad dissemination of his vision. This compelling example of the artist’s groundbreaking graphic contribution is proudly housed in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. While this seminal work remains vital to scholarly study, the widespread nature of Munch's influential prints often makes his imagery accessible through public domain archives worldwide.
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