Woman and Self-Portrait in Profile
Edvard Munch, the master of existential dread, gives us a raw, sketchy double portrait here, likely from his Symbolist period. On the left, a profile of a man—likely the artist himself—is rendered in stark, sickly yellow lines, staring intently. Facing him is a woman with a face flushed in deep reds and purples, looking almost feverish or mask-like. It feels like a psychological standoff, capturing the tension between the sexes that Munch was obsessed with throughout his career. The loose, scribbly blue background suggests a room, but the focus is entirely on the emotional intensity.