The Kiss IV (Kyss IV)

The Kiss IV (Kyss IV) by Edvard Munch, created in 1897, is a pivotal example of the artist’s masterful exploration of the woodcut technique, particularly during the defining period of 1897–1902. This influential print is one of several works that revisit the potent theme of human intimacy and the simultaneous isolation inherent in the act of merging identities, a central concern throughout Munch’s career.

As a leading figure in the Symbolist movement, Munch recognized the potential of printmaking to disseminate his psychological narratives widely. Unlike the flowing, naturalistic lines of his earlier painted versions of the subject, the woodcut medium demands a reduction of form. Munch utilized the inherent starkness and coarse texture of the wood to great psychological effect. The two figures are simplified into a single, brooding silhouette, their facial features entirely obscured as they merge against the backdrop of a minimal interior space dominated by the visible grain of the wood. This approach heightens the emotional tension and conveys the often claustrophobic nature of the embrace.

Munch was instrumental in establishing printmaking as a primary vehicle for profound expressionism. The Norwegian artist often employed the jigsaw method-separating cut blocks to ink different sections in varying tones-which provided a raw, powerful visual language for expressing complex emotional states. This specific impression, classified as a print, is crucial for understanding Munch's transition from Symbolist painting to modernist graphics. The resulting composition cemented the artist's international reputation, particularly among subsequent generations of German Expressionists who were deeply influenced by his graphic output. Today, this definitive work resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.