Edvard Munch

At the turn of the century in 1900, Edvard Munch had established himself as an influential figure in modern art. His visual language, which moved from naturalism to a symbolist and psychological expression, placed the inner life of humanity and emotional states at the centre.

The work "Exhibition Poster. Chained Eagle" was created for the artist's solo exhibition at the Diorama venue in Oslo in March 1910, located at Karl Johans gate 35 - the city's central artery and a place charged with the gaze of the public. The auction's work is executed in chalk, with handwritten information about the exhibition's time and place. At the bottom, Karl Johans gate spreads out in bird's-eye view, like a stage for modern life or for the observing artist.

The most striking element in the auction's work is the chained eagle, a motif laden with symbolism. Here, power is connected with confinement, movement with limitation. The image bears traces of inner tensions that can be related to Munch's life at this time: in 1908, he suffered a mental breakdown after years of workload and self-destructive living. His stay at Dr. Jacobson's clinic in Copenhagen was followed by a new phase in his artistry. At the farm Skrubben by the Oslofjord - where he settled in 1909 - he resumed his work with an energy and discipline that would characterise the entire following decade.

"Exhibition Poster. Chained Eagle" came into being precisely during this transitional period. The work testifies not only to an artist who had regained control over his production but also to a new awareness of the public space and the artist's role within it. During these years, Munch developed several major paintings on themes such as work, the body, and the rhythm of nature. Titles like "Workers in Snow" (Arbetare i snö) 1910-11 and "Workers Returning Home" (Arbetare på hemväg) 1913-15 signal a shift away from the autobiographical and towards a broader, socially anchored thematic. The auction's work reflects this new phase, where Munch emerges as a conscious image-maker who actively reflected on his contemporaries and the rapidly changing world.

The sketches are registered in the Munch Museum's database. The inventory number for the upper sketch: PE.T.00182. The inventory number for the lower sketch: PE.T.00180.