plate no. 6764

Four Ages in Life

Edvard Munch, 1902

oil, canvasSymbolismsymbolic paintingfiguresstreetbuildingstreesportrait

recreation guide

Edvard Munch’s 'Four Ages in Life' (1902) is a quintessential example of his Symbolist style, which prioritizes emotional content and the depiction of a state of mind over external reality (Source 7). The artwork is distinctive for its simplified forms, heavy outlines, and sharp contrasts, which Munch employed to create tension and emotion rather than strict naturalism (Source 7). Consistent with his mature practice, the painting likely appears 'not complete' in a traditional academic sense, as Munch believed art was complete once the artist had expressed what gripped them, subordinating technical finish to emotional impact (Source 7). The composition is carefully calculated to guide the viewer’s eye and evoke specific psychological responses, utilizing color harmony and contrast to enhance the symbolic narrative of life’s stages.

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (primary set: Ultramarine, White, Black, plus Red and Yellow earths/ochres)	For creating the grisaille underpainting and subsequent glazes/scumbles	—
Oil of Copavia (or modern equivalent like Odorless Mineral Spirits + Linseed Oil)	Medium for the first and second paintings as per Reynolds' method cited in sources	Liquin or Gamblin Galkyd mixed with solvent
Canvas	Support for the oil painting	—
Varnish	Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to gain mastery over transparency	Dammar varnish or synthetic resin varnish
Brushes (various sizes)	For applying glazes, scumbles, and defining heavy outlines	—

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a standard oil-primed canvas. Munch’s practice in this period involved a focus on the essential, often leaving surfaces with a raw or simplified quality rather than a highly polished academic finish. The surface should be ready to accept transparent glazes and semi-opaque scumbles.

underdrawing

Munch’s mature style features heavy outlines and simplified forms (Source 7). The underdrawing should establish these strong contours and the basic geometric relationships of the figures, avoiding excessive detail. The lines should serve as the structural skeleton for the emotional content, not as a rigid boundary for realistic shading.

underpainting

Create a monochrome grisaille underpainting. According to traditional methods cited in the sources, this involves mentally extracting red and yellow colors, translating what would be left in nature if these two colors were not present (Source 1). Use black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia as a medium to establish values and forms (Source 1). This layer must be completely dry before proceeding.

color palette

Ultramarine

Pure pigment

Part of the grisaille underpainting and cool tones in glazes

White

Pure pigment

Lightening values in the grisaille and highlights

Black

Pure pigment

Darkening values in the grisaille and heavy outlines

Red/Yellow Tones

Transparent reds and yellows (e.g., Vermilion, Yellow Ochre)

Glazing and scumbling over the dry grisaille to reintroduce color harmony

Complementary Neutrals

Mixing complements (e.g., red+green, blue+orange)

Creating grays and neutralizing colors without shifting hue undesirably (Source 4)

composition

Munch carefully calculated his compositions to create tension and emotion (Source 7). The arrangement should avoid exact bisections of picture space and ensure the prominent subject is off-center unless symmetry is desired for formal effect (Source 6). The composition should guide the viewer’s eye around all elements before leading out of the picture, using contrast between detailed areas and 'rest' areas to aid focus (Source 6). The figures representing the four ages should be arranged to emphasize their symbolic relationship rather than realistic spatial depth.

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the simplified forms and heavy outlines of the four figures using thin oil wash or charcoal. Focus on the essential shapes that convey the emotional state of each age.
Tip — Avoid excessive detail; Munch’s style is about the essential, not the complete academic finish (Source 7).
Simplified forms

underpainting

step 02
Apply a grisaille underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia. Establish the full range of values, mentally excluding red and yellow tones.
Tip — Ensure this layer is completely dry before proceeding. This is the foundation for color harmony (Source 1).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Begin glazing and scumbling with oil. Apply transparent coats of color (glazing) and semi-opaque layers (scumbling) to reintroduce red and yellow tones.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat; scumbling is semi-opaque, allowing the underlying painting to show through. Use oil of copavia as the medium (Source 1).
Glazing and Scumbling

refining

step 04
Adjust color harmony by using complementary colors to neutralize or darken hues without shifting them undesirably. For example, use purplish-red to darken yellowish-green if needed.
Tip — Adding black can shift hues toward green/blue; using complements maintains hue integrity (Source 4).
Complementary Mixing

finishing

step 05
Refine the heavy outlines and sharp contrasts to enhance emotional tension. Ensure the composition leads the eye effectively and avoids static bisections.
Tip — Check that the center of interest is clear and that detail contrasts with rest areas (Source 6).
Calculated Composition

varnishing

step 06
Once fully dry, apply varnish mixed with oil for final glazes if greater transparency or mastery is desired, as per advanced practice.
Tip — This step is for those who have gained sufficient mastery over the oil medium (Source 1).
Varnish Glazing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to achieve color harmony by layering transparent and semi-opaque colors over a dry monochrome underpainting. This method was practiced by old masters and allows for rich, luminous colors without muddying the paint (Source 1).

Complementary Color Mixing

Used to darken or neutralize colors without undesirable hue shifts. For instance, using a color’s complement instead of black to darken it preserves the original hue’s character (Source 4).

Simplified Forms and Heavy Outlines

Characteristic of Munch’s mature style, these elements prioritize emotional expression and symbolic content over realistic detail (Source 7).

common pitfalls

→Adding black to darken colors, which can cause undesirable hue shifts (e.g., yellows shifting toward green) (Source 4).
→Over-working the painting to achieve a 'complete' academic finish, which contradicts Munch’s philosophy that art is complete when the emotional intent is expressed (Source 7).
→Failing to let the grisaille underpainting dry completely before glazing, which can lead to muddied colors and technical failure (Source 1).
→Creating a static composition by bisecting the picture space or placing the subject directly in the center without balancing elements (Source 6).

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 recipes used by Munch in 1902 are not detailed in the sources; general oil painting practices are inferred.
·Exact visual details of the figures' clothing or expressions in 'Four Ages in Life' are not described in the provided sources, so the guide relies on Munch’s general stylistic traits.
·The specific order of glaze colors for this particular painting is not provided; the guide suggests a general approach based on color theory and Munch’s style.

grounded in

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

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Underpainting (grisaille), glazing, and scumbling techniques

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Complementary colors↗
- Complementary colors — applied to Color mixing and neutralization strategies
Wikipedia: Harmony (color)↗
- Harmony (color) — applied to General color harmony principles
Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- Color theory — applied to Mixing pigments to avoid hue shifts
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — applied to Compositional structure and eye movement
Wikipedia bio — Edvard Munch↗
- Edvard Munch — applied to Artist’s style, simplified forms, and emotional focus