Edvard Munch Portraits Exhibition Explores the Artist's Complex Sociability

The National Portrait Gallery’s new exhibition showcases 40 portraits, revealing both Munch's personal struggles and his engagement with society.

The exhibition, opening March 13 at London’s National Portrait Gallery, features 40 portraits spanning Edvard Munch's career, from early works to later experimental pieces.
Munch’s portraits reveal a contrast between his solitary, tormented image and his connections to bohemian circles, patrons, and public figures.
Key works include depictions of Munch’s family, such as his sister Laura, whose mental illness is subtly conveyed, and his father, shown amid religious anxiety.
The exhibition highlights Munch’s stylistic evolution, blending conventional portraiture with expressive, hallucinatory color and symbolism.
The show also addresses sociohistorical contexts of Munch’s subjects but provides limited comparisons to broader art movements of his time.