plate no. 0395

Evening on Karl Johan Street

oil, canvasExpressionismgenre paintingstreetbuildingsfigurescrowdnightcityscape

recreation guide

Edvard Munch’s 'Evening on Karl Johan Street' (1892) is a seminal work of early Expressionism that captures the psychological atmosphere of urban life rather than its literal topography. The painting is distinctive for its use of color to convey emotion, utilizing the principles of simultaneous contrast to heighten the visual impact of the scene. As noted in the sources, Munch’s approach aligns with the idea that a painter can 'harmonize those colours of a composition which are essentially inherent to the nature of the objects' while also exploiting the eye’s susceptibility to fatigue and contrast to create 'great effects' (Source 3). The work exemplifies the genre painting tradition of depicting everyday life, but infuses it with a modernist spirit through the manipulation of light and color to evoke passion and emotion, moving away from the calm rationality of earlier periods (Source 6).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

4 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (primary set: Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Yellow, Vermilion/Red Ochre, White)	To create the complementary contrasts central to Munch's technique, particularly blue-orange and red-green pairs.	—
Canvas (linen or cotton)	Support for the oil medium.	—
Oil medium (linseed oil or walnut oil)	To adjust viscosity and drying time, allowing for the 'broad masses' and fluid application characteristic of the style.	—
Solvent (turpentine or odorless mineral spirits)	For thinning initial layers and cleaning brushes.	—

preparation

surface prep

Prepare the canvas with a traditional oil ground. Munch’s practice, consistent with late 19th-century oil painting standards, requires a sound craftsman’s approach to the medium (Source 4). The surface should be smooth enough to allow for the fluid, atmospheric blending of colors but textured enough to hold the impasto in key areas. No specific preparatory sketching method is detailed in the sources, so a standard gesso preparation is recommended.

underdrawing

The sources do not specify Munch’s underdrawing technique for this specific work. However, given the emphasis on 'broad masses' and the avoidance of being 'too much tied down to your outline' (Source 4), it is likely that Munch used a loose, gestural underdrawing or skipped it in favor of direct painting. Avoid rigid contour lines; instead, block in the major shapes of the street, buildings, and figures directly with thin paint.

underpainting

Apply a thin, monochromatic or limited-color underpainting to establish the tonal values of the evening scene. This aligns with the principle of establishing 'chiaro-scuro' or gradation of light before introducing full color intensity (Source 3). The underpainting should capture the 'modifications of the light on the model' (Source 1) without committing to final hues, allowing for the subsequent application of complementary contrasts.

color palette

Deep Blue/Ultramarine

Ultramarine Blue + White (for sky) or pure (for shadows)

The sky and shadows. Blue is used to create contrast with the orange/yellow streetlights, leveraging the complementary pair blue-orange (Source 2).

Orange/Yellow

Cadmium Yellow + Vermilion

Streetlights and window glows. These colors are intensified by the surrounding blue tones, as 'an orange drapery can be rendered yet more orange surrounded by blue tones' (Source 8).

Red/Crimson

Vermilion + Alizarin Crimson

Figures and accents. Red is used to create emotional intensity and contrast with green tones in the environment, if present, or to stand out against the neutral street (Source 8).

Green

Viridian + Yellow Ochre

Shadows or foliage. Green acts as the complement to red, enhancing the vibrancy of red elements through simultaneous contrast (Source 2).

composition

The composition likely emphasizes the verticality of the buildings and the horizontal flow of the street, creating a sense of depth and movement. While specific compositional details are not described in the sources, Munch’s genre painting approach focuses on 'aspects of everyday life' (Source 7) and uses color to infuse the scene with a 'modernist spirit' (Source 5). The arrangement of figures and lights should be designed to maximize the 'simultaneous contrast of colours' (Source 1), placing complementary colors adjacent to each other to heighten visual tension.

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Lightly sketch the major architectural forms and the placement of figures using a thin wash of blue or gray oil paint. Avoid hard lines; focus on the overall mass and perspective of the street.
Tip — Do not get tied down to outlines; the goal is to establish the 'broad masses' (Source 4).
Loose underdrawing

underpainting

step 02
Block in the sky and street with thin layers of blue and gray tones. Establish the basic light and dark values, ensuring the 'gradation of light' is correct before adding color intensity (Source 3).
Tip — Ensure the darkest tones are heightened and the lightest tones are lowered to create depth (Source 1).
Chiaroscuro underpainting

first pass

step 03
Apply the primary colors for the streetlights and windows. Use orange and yellow tones for the lights, placing them directly against the blue sky and shadows. This exploits the 'law of simultaneous contrast' where 'blue beside red verges on green' and 'red beside blue verges on orange' (Source 8).
Tip — Observe how the blue background makes the orange lights appear more intense, and vice versa (Source 8).
Simultaneous contrast

refining

step 04
Add the figures and details of the street. Use red and green tones to create further contrast. If a figure’s clothing is red, place it near green shadows or foliage to make it 'seem redder' (Source 8). Adjust the tones to ensure the 'colours of a composition which are essentially inherent to the nature of the objects' are harmonized (Source 1).
Tip — Be aware that the eye may see colors inaccurately due to 'mixed contrast' if you stare at one color too long; take breaks to reset your vision (Source 1).
Color harmony

finishing

step 05
Refine the edges and blend the transitions between light and shadow. Ensure that the 'modifications of tone and of colour which they receive from contiguous colours' are accurately rendered (Source 1). Add final highlights to the streetlights to enhance the 'brilliancy' by surrounding them with their complementary blue tones (Source 8).
Tip — Avoid over-modeling; keep the brushwork fluid and expressive to maintain the emotional impact (Source 6).
Edge control

critical techniques

Simultaneous Contrast

Placing complementary colors (e.g., blue and orange) next to each other to intensify their appearance. This is based on the principle that 'when we regard attentively two coloured objects at the same time, neither of them appears of the colour peculiar to it' but rather a tint resulting from the interaction (Source 1).

Mixed Contrast

Being aware that the eye retains an afterimage of a previously viewed color, which can distort the perception of subsequent colors. The painter must account for this to see the 'colour peculiar to each part' accurately (Source 1).

Color Intensification

Surrounding a color with its complement to increase its brilliancy. For example, 'an orange drapery can be rendered yet more orange surrounded by blue tones' (Source 8).

common pitfalls

→Over-modeling details: The sources warn against being 'too much tied down to your outline' or 'inclined to over-model' (Source 4). Munch’s style relies on broad, expressive strokes rather than fine detail.
→Ignoring color interaction: Failing to account for simultaneous contrast can lead to colors appearing dull or inaccurate. The painter must 'perceive and be prepared to imitate modifications in them' caused by contiguous colors (Source 1).
→Visual fatigue: Staring at one color for too long can cause 'mixed contrast' effects, leading to inaccurate color mixing. The painter should take breaks to reset their vision (Source 1).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific pigment analysis of the original painting is not provided in the sources, so the pigment choices are inferred from general color theory and Munch’s known palette.
·The exact brushwork technique (e.g., impasto vs. glaze) for specific areas of the painting is not detailed in the sources, so general oil painting practices are applied.
·The specific underdrawing method used by Munch for this work is not described, so a general approach is recommended.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Understanding simultaneous and mixed contrast for color application.
- 318-319 — applied to Techniques for intensifying colors using complementary backgrounds.

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Complementary colors↗
- Traditional color model — applied to Identifying complementary pairs (blue-orange, red-green) for intensification.
Wikipedia: Edvard Munch↗
- Style — applied to Understanding Munch’s goal to harmonize inherent colors and create emotional effects.
- Style — applied to Guidance on avoiding over-modeling and rigid outlines.
- Style — applied to Contextualizing the work within modernist genre painting.
- Style — applied to Emphasizing the use of color to convey passion and emotion.
Wikipedia: Genre painting↗
- Overview — applied to Understanding the depiction of everyday life in the painting.