Jealousy II (Sjalusi II)

Jealousy II (Sjalusi II) by Edvard Munch is a striking lithograph created in 1896, solidifying the artist’s reputation as the preeminent master of fin-de-siècle psychological drama. This medium, which Munch often used for its capacity to produce bold, reductive forms, proved ideal for conveying the raw emotional turmoil central to his thematic cycle, The Frieze of Life. The lithograph relies on strong black and white contrasts and simplified shapes, a technique that allows the viewer to focus entirely on the subject’s internalized suffering rather than material reality.

The work’s subject matter centers on the destructive power of obsession and fractured relationships, a motif Munch returned to repeatedly in his career. While the specific imagery of Jealousy II (Sjalusi II) is characteristically ambiguous, the tormented male figure, often representing the artist, stands isolated in the foreground, his head framed by surrounding darkness. This profound visual separation underlines the feeling of existential isolation that pervaded much of the art produced in 1896.

Munch's decision to utilize prints extensively during this period allowed his expressive and symbolic imagery to gain wider circulation. As a leading Norwegian artist, his contributions deeply influenced the nascent Expressionist movement across Europe. The printmaking medium, particularly lithography, enabled the artist to experiment freely and translate the intensity found in his major canvases into repeatable graphic art. The piece serves as a key example of the cultural shift away from naturalism toward highly personal, symbolic imagery. This highly influential work currently resides in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, where it remains a celebrated example of modern graphic art, often referenced in scholarship detailing the history of the public domain and accessible museum holdings.