The Hands

"The Hands," created by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) in 1895, is a powerful example of the artist's sophisticated engagement with printmaking. This lithograph, printed in black on a cream card by the workshop of Liebmann, showcases Munch's mastery of the medium, characterized by stark tonal contrasts and an economy of expressive lines. Produced during a period of intense psychological exploration, the piece reflects the thematic concerns common in turn-of-the-century Symbolist art, often dealing with human anxiety, isolation, and relationship dynamics.

Munch frequently utilized the expressive power of simple forms to convey complex emotional states. In this lithograph, the hands are isolated and dramatically rendered, appearing almost disembodied against the subtle tone of the cream card. The sharp, decisive lines used to define the contours and tendons amplify a sense of tension and perhaps severance, themes central to Munch’s explorations of human relationships. This intense focus on a fragmented bodily image is typical of the deeply personal and often unsettling visual language that the artist developed while working internationally, cementing his reputation as a leading figure from Norway in the transition to Expressionism. Although Munch is widely known for his paintings, his innovative contributions to modern prints were seminal, establishing lithography as a vital tool for psychological expression.

Classified formally as a print, The Hands is a crucial part of the Art Institute of Chicago's extensive collection of late nineteenth-century graphic works. As this important piece has long been situated within the public domain, it remains widely reproduced and studied by scholars interested in the profound visual dialogue between Expressionism and early modern prints.