Beyond ‘The Scream’: A New Side of Munch’s Art

The National Portrait Gallery in London presents a unique exhibition, bringing together an extensive collection of Edvard Munch’s portraits for the first time. His work has long held a significant place in the British art scene, consistently attracting the attention of London audiences. In 2022, an exhibition at the Courtauld Institute showcased Munch’s graphic works, highlighting the deep psychological intensity of his art. Earlier, in 2019, the Royal Academy of Arts staged a grand retrospective exploring his expressionist paintings. This new exhibition shifts the focus to portraiture, revealing how the artist saw his friends, patrons, collaborators, and himself. Afisha.London has already visited the exhibition and shares its impressions.

Traditionally, Munch’s work is associated with his symbolist paintings, filled with anxiety and philosophical reflections on life and death. However, he was also a masterful portraitist—his subjects are not just faces but characters, destinies, and an era captured on canvas. The London exhibition presents portraits of Munch’s close friends, such as lawyer Thor Lütken and physicist Felix Auerbach, as well as numerous self-portraits that vividly illustrate his personal and artistic transformations.

The exhibition is structured both thematically and chronologically, inviting visitors to follow four key stages of Munch’s life and career: his family, European patrons and collectors, friends and supporters, and his relationships with the bohemian circles of his time, all reflected in the portraits of those closest to him.

Telegram канал

Among the most remarkable works on display is the famous portrait of Felix Auerbach, painted in 1906, as well as emotionally charged lithographs, including “The Brooch” (1902), which depicts the British violinist Eva Mudocci. A separate section is dedicated to the enigmatic figures known as Munch’s “Guardians”—individuals whose presence in his life was so significant that he continued painting them even after they had left his immediate circle.

Photo: Afisha.London

One of the most intriguing portraits in the exhibition is “Thor Lütken, Lawyer.” At first glance, it appears to be a conventional portrait, but upon closer examination, a mysterious moonlit landscape emerges in the background, inhabited by shadowy figures—symbols of love and death.

The National Portrait Gallery’s exhibition is not just a collection of portraits; it is an exploration of the artist’s inner world—his anxieties, attachments, and lifelong search for meaning. This is a rare opportunity to see works that seldom leave Norway and to rediscover Munch, not only as the creator of “The Scream” but also as a sensitive chronicler and portraitist of his time.

картье фаберже

From March 13 to July 21, 2025, this exhibition awaits visitors in the heart of London.

Cover photo: Afisha.London

черчиль (4)

Read more:

The Art of Being Yourself: Leigh Bowery at Tate Modern

The Baroness with a brush: how Russian émigré Tamara de Lempicka conquered the art world

Gothic Carnival: A Guide to Tim Burton’s Films