Night

Edvard Munch composed this Night in Saint-Cloud in 1890, creating what became a memorial to his father Christian, who had died the previous year. The oil on canvas measures 64.5 x 54 cm and shows an empty room with moonlight streaming through a window. A solitary figure sits in shadow, barely visible against the blue darkness.

Munch created this work in France, where he'd traveled on a state fellowship to study with Leon Bonnat. His father's death was traumatic, instilling a newfound interest in spirituality and symbolism. The painting first appeared at the National Annual Autumn Exhibition in 1890 under the simple title "Night."

The conversion of grief into art culminated during spring 1890 in two paintings: this somber interior and the contrasting Spring Day on Karl Johan Street. Together they represent death and life, darkness and light. This brooding work shows Munch moving toward the Expressionist style that would define his career. The painting hangs at the National Gallery of Norway in Oslo.