plate no. 2607
Girls on a Bridge
Edvard Munch, 1900
recreation guide
Edvard Munch’s 'Girls on a Bridge' (1900) is a genre painting that reflects his transition toward a more structured, yet emotionally charged, style following his time in Paris and Berlin. As a member of the Kristiania Bohème, Munch was influenced by the nihilist Hans Jæger’s concept of 'soul painting,' which urged artists to depict their own emotional and psychological states rather than mere visual reality (Source 5). This work belongs to his broader exploration of themes such as love, anxiety, and social interaction, often characterized by a steeped atmosphere and symbolic use of color. While the specific visual details of the girls and the bridge are not described in the provided sources, the painting is grounded in Munch’s practice of using color to express feeling, a technique he refined by studying the works of Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec (Source 5).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
4 items
steps
5 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints | Primary medium for expression; allows for the 'vitality' and 'painted symbols' Munch valued over mere illusionism. | — |
| Canvas | Support for the oil medium. | — |
| Brushes (various sizes) | To apply paint in broad masses and finer details, adhering to the craftsman's requirement to know his medium's capacities. | — |
| Palette knife | For mixing colors and potentially applying thick impasto, consistent with Expressionist techniques. | — |
preparation
surface prep
Munch’s practice involved a deep understanding of his medium’s capacities. While specific priming methods for this 1900 work are not detailed in the sources, a sound craftsman prepares the canvas to ensure the oil paint adheres properly and allows for the 'vital expression of nature' without the medium becoming a 'meretricious attempt to deceive the eye' (Source 2). The surface should be prepared to accept both broad masses and finer finishes, as copying works to correct weaknesses in 'broad masses' or 'finish' is advised for developing technical proficiency (Source 1).
underdrawing
The sources do not specify Munch’s underdrawing technique for this particular piece. However, general advice suggests that artists should be careful not to be 'too much tied down to your outline' or 'too timid to depart from it' (Source 1). Munch’s style, influenced by his 'soul painting' philosophy, likely prioritized emotional expression over rigid linear precision, suggesting a loose or minimal underdrawing that allows for fluid color application.
underpainting
No specific underpainting technique is cited for Munch in the provided sources. However, the principle of using oil paint to create 'painted symbols' rather than mere illusion suggests that the underpainting might serve to establish tonal values and color relationships early on, allowing for the 'simultaneous contrast' effects described in color theory (Source 3, Source 4).
color palette
Complementary Colors (e.g., Red/Green, Blue/Orange)
Varying depending on the specific hues needed; likely including cadmium red, emerald green, ultramarine blue, and yellow ochre.
To create visual tension and harmony. Munch learned from Gauguin and Van Gogh to use color expressively. Placing complementary colors side-by-side increases their brilliancy (Source 3).
Analogous Colors
Colors adjacent on the color wheel, such as various blues and greens for the background or water.
To create stability and mood. Analogous colors provide the 'simplest and most stable harmony' (Source 6).
High-Contrast Tones
Light and dark values of the same hue or complementary hues.
To produce chiaroscuro effects and gradation of light. Juxtaposing different tones of the same color creates a 'true gradation of light' (Source 4).
composition
The sources do not describe the specific composition of 'Girls on a Bridge.' However, Munch’s work is characterized by its focus on emotional atmosphere and symbolic representation. The composition likely utilizes color contrast to guide the viewer’s eye and evoke feeling, rather than strict realistic perspective. The artist’s choice of colors for draperies, backgrounds, and accessories is at his discretion to harmonize the composition, even if the flesh tones are fixed by the model (Source 4).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the basic forms of the figures and the bridge lightly, avoiding rigid outlines that might constrain the expressive potential of the paint.
Tip — Do not be 'too much tied down to your outline' (Source 1).
Loose underdrawing
underpainting
step 02
Apply a thin layer of paint to establish the general tonal values and color relationships, focusing on the 'broad masses' first.
Tip — Ensure the medium’s 'vital qualities' are respected, avoiding mere illusionism (Source 2).
Blocking in
first pass
step 03
Apply colors in juxtaposition, paying attention to simultaneous contrast. Place complementary colors next to each other to enhance their intensity.
Tip — Red beside blue verges on orange; blue beside red verges on green (Source 3).
Simultaneous Contrast
refining
step 04
Refine the details, ensuring that the 'small effects' result from the 'great effects' of color and tone contrast.
Tip — Devote yourself to great effects; many small ones will result from them (Source 4).
Detailing through contrast
finishing
step 05
Adjust the harmony of the composition by checking the balance of colors. If a color is too pronounced, soften it by surrounding it with objects of the same color, more intense.
Tip — Use complementary colors to increase brilliancy or analogous colors to soften (Source 3).
Color Harmony Adjustment
critical techniques
Simultaneous Contrast of Colors
When two colored objects are viewed together, each appears modified by the complementary color of the other. This principle is crucial for achieving the vibrant, expressive color effects characteristic of Munch’s style.
Soul Painting
Depicting the artist’s emotional and psychological state rather than just visual reality. This influences the choice of color and composition to evoke specific feelings.
Color Harmony
Using complementary, split-complementary, or analogous colors to create aesthetically pleasing and emotionally resonant combinations.
common pitfalls
- →Attempting to create a mere 'illusion of natural appearances' rather than expressing feeling through the medium’s vitality (Source 2).
- →Being 'too much tied down to your outline' and failing to depart from it, leading to a timid or over-modeled result (Source 1).
- →Ignoring the effects of simultaneous contrast, which can lead to colors appearing duller or less vibrant than intended (Source 3, Source 4).
- →Over-modeling or focusing too much on small details at the expense of great effects (Source 4).
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 visual details of the painting (e.g., the exact clothing of the girls, the structure of the bridge, facial expressions) are not described in the sources.
- ·Munch’s specific underdrawing and underpainting techniques for this 1900 work are not detailed.
- ·The exact pigment palette used by Munch for this specific painting is not provided.
- ·The specific compositional layout of the figures and background is not described.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on avoiding rigid outlines and focusing on broad masses.
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Emphasis on the vitality of the medium and avoiding mere illusionism.
The Science of Painting↗
- 4. When two colours separated by more than two others — applied to Principles of simultaneous contrast and color harmony.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints of different tones of the same — applied to Chiaroscuro effects and the importance of great effects over small details.
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia bio — Edvard Munch↗
- part 1 — applied to Munch’s 'soul painting' philosophy and influences from Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec.
Wikipedia: Harmony (color)↗
- Harmony (color) — part 1 — applied to General principles of color harmony.
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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