Melancholy III

A man sits, head bowed, supporting his head with his hand.
In the distance, on a pier, a man and a woman are heading towards a boat, and another figure carries an oar.

The scene is the coast of Åsgårdstrand, a small village in Norway.
In the summer of 1891, Jappe Nilssen, a Danish critic and close friend of Munch, was in deep despair.
He was consumed by an intense love for Oda Lasson, the wife of painter Christian Krohg.
Munch saw his past self reflected in his friend's plight.
He himself had experienced an unhealing jealousy and sense of loss during his first love with a woman named Millie Thaulow.
His friend's tragic love affair.
For Munch, it was an event that reopened his own emotional wounds.

This poignant theme evolved through oil paintings and other mediums, eventually leading to woodcuts.
However, an unexpected problem arose.
In 1901, Munch, aiming for success in Berlin, attempted to send a wooden crate containing his works to Berlin.
But due to a mix-up, the crate was mistakenly sent back to his villa in Åsgårdstrand.
He didn't have the woodblocks with him.
Forced to recreate the prints in Berlin, Munch decided in 1902 to carve new woodblocks.
And thus, this 'Melancholy III' was born.