Man and Woman 1 by Edvard Munch

Bearing witness to a remarkable graphic innovation, this bicolour print explores the duality of sexes and the magnetic attraction between man and woman. Through a play of violent contrasts specific to the graphic arts of the era, this narrative creation bears the unique technical mark of the complete artisan Edvard Munch. This graphic work, baptized with the name of “Man and Woman 1”, highlights the visual confrontation of two profiles uniting in a striking composition.

The scene presents the close-up of two faces in profile facing each other and interlocking closely in the center of the space. On the left, the male features appear dark, almost entirely plunged into a rough black shadow engraved with nervous white lines. On the right, the female profile stands out in white against a mass of vibrant brick red hair extending over the entire right section. The background is saturated with white and black horizontal and vertical stripes, creating a very pronounced woody texture. The lines of force converge toward the point of contact between the two faces.

The appreciation of the artist’s know-how rests on his exceptional mastery of woodcut engraving and textile or paper printing. His vigorous cutting technique breathes an incomparable dramatic tension into the surface, demonstrating a superb ability to synthesize raw human emotion.