Man Bathing

The influential Norwegian Symbolist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) created the color woodcut Man Bathing in 1899. This seminal print exemplifies Munch's radical approach to printmaking, utilizing the woodcut medium to convey intense emotional states through simplified forms. Classified as a color woodcut, the piece was produced using two distinct blocks printed on a grayish ivory card. This technical strategy allowed the artist to achieve stark textural contrasts and a limited yet highly evocative color palette, focusing viewer attention solely on the figure and its isolated setting.

Munch was a pivotal figure in modern art, and his innovations in prints, such as this work, were fundamental to his reputation. The artist (1863-1944) was known for sawing his woodcut blocks into jigsaw pieces to apply different colors, or allowing the visible grain of the wood to integrate into the composition, enhancing the raw, visceral quality of the image. The subject of the lone figure engaging with nature, as seen in Man Bathing, reflects broader artistic trends of the turn of the century, moving away from naturalism toward an Expressionist depiction of the human body and psychological isolation. This masterwork is a prime example of late 19th-century printmaking from Norway. Today, the work is part of the esteemed permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it remains available for scholarly research and appreciation of Munch’s mastery of the graphic arts.