The Sick Child
Encyclopedia
The Sick Child is an 1885 painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch
(1863 – 1944). It is a portrait of his older and favorite sister Sophie (Johanne Sophie b. 1862) who died of tuberculosis
in 1877 at the approximate age of 15. Munch considered the painting "a breakthrough in my art".
Munch created numerous versions of the painting. The fourth, painted in 1907, is presently in the Tate Gallery
, London. In 1928, it was on display in the Gemäldegalerie in Dresden
.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the National Socialists labeled Munch's paintings as "degenerate art
", and removed his work from German museums. They were taken to Berlin to be auctioned. Norwegian art dealer Harald Holst Halvorsen acquired several of Munch's paintings, including the 1907 version of The Sick Child, with the goal of returning them to Oslo
. In 1939, it was purchased by Thomas Olsen and donated to the Tate Gallery collection.
Edvard Munch
Edvard Munch was a Norwegian Symbolist painter, printmaker and an important forerunner of expressionist art. His best-known composition, The Scream, is part of a series The Frieze of Life, in which Munch explored the themes of love, fear, death, melancholia, and anxiety.- Childhood :Edvard Munch...
(1863 – 1944). It is a portrait of his older and favorite sister Sophie (Johanne Sophie b. 1862) who died of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in 1877 at the approximate age of 15. Munch considered the painting "a breakthrough in my art".
Munch created numerous versions of the painting. The fourth, painted in 1907, is presently in the Tate Gallery
Tate Gallery
The Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
, London. In 1928, it was on display in the Gemäldegalerie in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the National Socialists labeled Munch's paintings as "degenerate art
Degenerate art
Degenerate art is the English translation of the German entartete Kunst, a term adopted by the Nazi regime in Germany to describe virtually all modern art. Such art was banned on the grounds that it was un-German or Jewish Bolshevist in nature, and those identified as degenerate artists were...
", and removed his work from German museums. They were taken to Berlin to be auctioned. Norwegian art dealer Harald Holst Halvorsen acquired several of Munch's paintings, including the 1907 version of The Sick Child, with the goal of returning them to Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. In 1939, it was purchased by Thomas Olsen and donated to the Tate Gallery collection.