A Norwegian Expressionist painter and printmaker whose intensely evocative treatment of psychological themes built upon late 19th century Symbolism and greatly influenced German Expressionism in the early 20th century.

He had a troubled life, which was represented in his paintings. As a child, he was often ill in the winter and kept out of school. To pass the time, he took up drawing. His mother died of tuberculosis after the birth of his youngest sister, and his favourite sister died of the same illness 9 years later. His father was also a religious fanatic who would read the children ghost stories. As a result, the young Munch was plagued by nightmares and paranoid visions of death.

His early paintings brought much unfavourable criticism, not least from his father. He led a nihilistic, bohemian lifestyle, in which binge drinking and brawling were common. After his father’s death, leaving the family destitute, he became plagued by suicidal thoughts. His critical reception improved by the 1890s, although reviews remained bleak. In 1908 he had an acute break with reality, which required electrification therapy, although there then began a relatively steady and successful period in his life.