Jealousy I (Sjalusi I)

Jealousy I (Sjalusi I) by Edvard Munch is a powerful lithograph created in 1896, representing one of the core psychological explorations within the artist’s expansive Frieze of Life project. As one of the most significant works associated with the Norwegian Symbolist movement, this print employs the stark contrast and fluid line characteristic of the lithography technique to visualize intense emotional anguish. Munch created several versions of the jealousy theme, but this specific iteration, produced in 1896, solidified the visual composition that would define the series, focusing on emotional isolation and distress.

The aesthetic force of the work is derived from Munch’s masterful control over the printing stone. The foreground is dominated by a shadowy male figure whose face is often rendered with skull-like or deeply shadowed starkness, representing the corrosive and overwhelming nature of the emotion. In the mid-ground, a pale, often nude female figure stands beside a dark, indistinct male figure, suggesting the relationship that has triggered the protagonist's agony. The dramatic use of black and white exaggerates the psychological tension inherent in the composition, allowing the viewer to feel the overwhelming weight of the title subject. This particular interpretation of jealousy moved beyond mere narrative illustration, functioning instead as a deeply personal and universal exploration of modernity and internal conflict.

Created during a crucial phase of the artist’s career in the late 1890s, this piece cemented Munch's role as a pioneer of Expressionism. The Norwegian master utilized the medium of prints not only to disseminate his challenging psychological themes widely but also to experiment with a visual immediacy unavailable in painting. The reproducibility of the lithograph allowed for a level of access that made Munch’s intense psychological ideas accessible to a wider European audience. This key example of the artist's graphic output is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), recognized for its profound influence on subsequent generations of artists exploring the depths of the human condition. Prints from this period are often included in public domain archives, ensuring the enduring availability and study of Munch's contribution to graphic arts.