Nurse with a Boy/The Mother and the Crying Child

Nurse with a Boy/The Mother and the Crying Child by Edvard Munch Norwegian, 1863-1944, is a deeply expressive print created in 1902. Executed using etching and drypoint techniques on cream wove paper, the composition demonstrates the artist's intense focus on psychological states and emotional vulnerability. This work belongs to a period when Munch was perfecting his graphic vocabulary, using printmaking as a primary means to explore intimate, often strained, domestic relationships.

The scene depicts a dominant female figure, typically identified as a nurse or mother, holding a small boy whose features are distorted by weeping. The sharp, abbreviated lines inherent in the drypoint technique amplify the child's distress and the tension between the two figures. Munch employed the rich tonality created by the drypoint burr to achieve atmospheric depth, focusing the viewer’s attention on the fraught emotional interaction.

This print reflects the anxieties and themes of loneliness and interpersonal conflict that defined Munch’s career and cemented his role as a central figure in early 20th-century Scandinavian art. The Norwegian master utilized the stark contrasts available in black-and-white prints to convey feelings often suppressed in domestic life, aligning his output closely with Symbolist and emerging Expressionist movements.

This specific impression of Nurse with a Boy/The Mother and the Crying Child is housed in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. As a key example of the development of modern prints, the work continues to be studied globally. Images related to the work of Munch, who passed away in 1944, are increasingly available through public domain initiatives, ensuring widespread accessibility for scholars and art enthusiasts.