plate no. 5971

Self-portrait with bottle of wine

Edvard Munch, 1906

oil, canvasExpressionismself-portraitself-portraitfigurewine bottletableinteriormen

what to study here

It shows how one cool table mass and a controlled value range can hold a warm, loosely painted face forward against a blurred interior.

The main lesson here is temperature control. A reddish-orange face and warm ochre room sit against one cool purple-blue table that runs horizontally across the middle of the canvas. That single cool mass separates the figure from the abstracted interior and pushes the face forward.

Check the value structure with a squint. The darkest notes are the jacket, the two background figures and the upper corners. The face stays in a mid-to-warm-light range, so it reads first even though it is intensely colored. The lightest accents are the window area and the table edges.

Look at the edges. The profile contour is harder, while shadow transitions on the face are softer. The table is made of distinct directional strokes in cool color, and the background figures are loose, simplified marks. Nothing is blended smooth. Study how little description the table and background figures get, and how that keeps attention on the head.

key decision

Munch set a cool purple-blue table against the warm orange face and background, and kept the face lighter than the dark jacket and figures. Temperature and value together push the foreground figure forward.

recreation guide

Edvard Munch’s 'Self-portrait with bottle of wine' (1906) is a quintessential example of his Expressionist style, characterized by the depiction of emotional and psychological states rather than strict realism. Munch’s practice, influenced by his association with the Kristiania Bohème and artists like Gauguin and Van Gogh, prioritized 'soul painting'—using color and form to convey anxiety, love, and existential dread (Source 8). This self-portrait likely reflects his personal struggles, including his heavy drinking and subsequent mental breakdown in 1908, making the bottle of wine a significant symbolic element rather than merely a still-life object. The work employs oil on canvas, a medium Munch used extensively to achieve rich, dense colors and flexible layering techniques (Source 7).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

6 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (cadmium red, ultramarine, yellow ochre, white lead/titanium)	Primary pigments for Munch’s expressive palette	Titanium white is a modern substitute for lead white; cadmiums remain standard.
Linseed oil or poppy seed oil	Binder for pigments; provides flexibility and rich color density	Refined linseed oil is standard.
Turpentine or petroleum spirit	Thinner for initial layers and cleaning brushes	Odorless mineral spirits are a safer modern alternative.
Canvas stretched on wooden frame	Support surface	Pre-primed linen or cotton canvas.
White palette	To ensure correct judgment of color transparency and maintain cleanliness	White ceramic or glass palette.
Painting varnish	For glazing and final protection	Dammar or synthetic resin varnish.

preparation

surface prep

The canvas should be sized with a white ground, such as cheese paste (caséine) or gesso, to ensure the surface is impervious to oil and provides a neutral base for color judgment (Source 1). Munch’s period conventions suggest a smooth to moderately textured ground to allow for both broad masses and finer details. The white sizing helps maintain the lightness of tones and prevents oil from penetrating too deeply into the canvas fibers (Source 1).

underdrawing

Munch likely began with a rough sketch in thin oil or charcoal to establish the general form and likeness, as was common for portrait artists when the sitter’s time was limited (Source 2). Given that this is a self-portrait, Munch may have used a mirror, resulting in a reversed image unless he deliberately corrected it (Source 2). The underdrawing would focus on the face and hands first, with the background and clothing added later (Source 2).

underpainting

A monochrome underpainting (grisaille) may have been used to establish values before applying color. This technique involves painting in black, white, and ultramarine to create a tonal foundation, which is then glazed with transparent colors (Source 4). This method allows for greater control over light and shadow, aligning with Munch’s interest in atmospheric effects and emotional depth.

color palette

Deep Reds

Cadmium red, alizarin crimson

Symbolic elements like the wine bottle or clothing, reflecting Munch’s use of color to convey emotion (Source 8).

Ultramarine Blue

Ultramarine pigment

Backgrounds and shadows, creating contrast with warmer tones (Source 4).

Yellow Ochre

Yellow ochre, raw sienna

Flesh tones and highlights, providing warmth and depth (Source 4).

White

Lead white or titanium white

Highlights and mixing to adjust value and opacity (Source 4).

Black

Ivory black or lamp black

Shadows and defining contours, used sparingly to avoid muddiness (Source 4).

composition

The composition likely centers on the artist’s face, with the bottle of wine placed prominently to symbolize his personal struggles with alcohol. Munch’s self-portraits often feature a direct gaze, engaging the viewer with the psychological intensity of the subject (Source 8). The background is likely simplified or abstracted to focus attention on the figure, consistent with his Expressionist style. The use of symbolic elements, such as the wine bottle, encodes the painting with personal and emotional significance (Source 2).

step by step

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

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the general form and likeness of the face and hands using thin oil or charcoal. Focus on proportions and expression.
Tip — Ensure the mirror image is accounted for if using a mirror.
Rough sketch

underpainting

step 02
Apply a monochrome underpainting using black, white, and ultramarine to establish values and shadows. Let dry completely.
Tip — Avoid adding color until the underpainting is dry to prevent muddiness.
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Begin applying color with thin glazes, starting with the background and moving to the figure. Use transparent layers to build depth.
Tip — Work from dark to light, allowing each layer to dry before adding the next.
Glazing

refining

step 04
Add opaque layers to highlight areas and refine details, particularly in the face and hands. Use scumbling to create texture and atmosphere.
Tip — Pay attention to the contrast between light and dark to enhance emotional impact.
Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Apply final glazes to unify the composition and enhance color harmony. Use varnish to protect the painting and deepen colors.
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely dry before varnishing to prevent cracking.
Varnishing

varnishing

step 06
Apply a final coat of painting varnish to protect the surface and enhance the richness of the colors.
Tip — Use a soft brush to avoid brush marks and ensure an even coat.
Final varnish

critical techniques

Glazing

Used to build transparent layers of color, enhancing depth and luminosity. Munch’s use of glazing aligns with traditional oil painting methods described in Source 4.

Scumbling

Applied to create texture and atmospheric effects, particularly in the background and clothing. This technique helps to convey the emotional tone of the painting.

Symbolic Color Use

Munch used color expressively to convey psychological states, such as anxiety and despair. The red of the wine bottle and the blue of the background create a stark contrast, emphasizing the emotional tension.

common pitfalls

→Overworking the paint, leading to a muddy appearance. Munch’s style relies on clear, distinct layers, so allow each layer to dry before adding the next (Source 4).
→Ignoring the importance of the underpainting. A solid tonal foundation is crucial for achieving the desired depth and contrast (Source 4).
→Using too much black, which can flatten the image. Munch used black sparingly, relying on color contrasts to create shadows (Source 4).
→Neglecting the symbolic elements. The wine bottle is not just an object but a key to understanding the painting’s emotional content (Source 8).

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 details of Munch’s brushwork and stroke direction in this particular painting are not described in the sources.
·The exact proportions and placement of the wine bottle relative to the figure are not specified.
·Munch’s specific mixing ratios for his colors are not provided, requiring experimentation based on general Expressionist practices.

grounded in

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

The Science of Painting↗
- CHAPTER IX. OUTLINE AND EXECUTION OF A PICTURE IN OILS — applied to Surface preparation, palette use, and varnishing techniques.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Glazing and scumbling techniques, and the use of grisaille underpainting.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-324 — applied to Understanding color contrast and harmony in composition.

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Portrait painting↗
- Portrait painting — part 5 — applied to Underdrawing methods and the use of mirrors in self-portraits.
Wikipedia bio — Edvard Munch↗
- Edvard Munch — part 1 — applied to Contextual understanding of Munch’s style, themes, and symbolic use of color.

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

A man sits at a table, head turned leftward, occupying the lower left foreground with intense presence. His reddish-orange face and dark clothing create the primary focus, with light originating from the upper left and warming his face and the foreground orange area. Behind him, two smaller figures in dark coats blur into the background; the table surface—a cool purple-blue—cuts horizontally across the middle, separating the intimate figure from a warm, abstracted interior space. The background glows with orange and ochre tones, suggesting a room interior or perhaps a café.

value structure

The darkest values are reserved for the jacket, background figures, and upper corners, anchoring the composition. The face sits in a mid-to-warm-light range despite its intensity, allowing it to read as the primary subject. The purple-blue table is the painting's coolest mid-tone mass, creating crucial contrast. The lightest accents appear in the window area and on table edges. Squinting reveals a clear push-forward of the foreground figure through value separation from the receding background.

observed palette and mixes

#1a1614
Ivory Black + Raw Umber (or Paynes Grey + Burnt Sienna)
Jacket, background figures, deep shadows, upper left corner
#483328
Burnt Sienna + Ultramarine (slight) or Raw Umber + Alizarin
Shadows on face, darker passages of hair and facial modeling
#af6d45
Cadmium Orange + Ultramarine Red + Yellow Ochre or Raw Sienna
Illuminated left side of face, foreground orange passages, warm mid-tone areas
#c19d97
Ultramarine + Cadmium Red Light + Titanium White or Cerulean + Alizarin + White
Table surface, creating cool mauve foundation that recedes
#e0cac6
Titanium White + Raw Sienna (slight) + Cadmium Red (minimal) or White + Yellow Ochre
Lightest table accents, window opening, pale background light
#a43c1e
Cadmium Red + Cadmium Orange + touch of Ultramarine or Alizarin + Cadmium Yellow Light
Red-orange collar/neck area, accent passages emphasizing mood

edges and brushwork

Brushwork is bold and visible throughout, with direct, confident strokes that prioritize expression over refinement. The face edges vary—harder around the profile contour, softer and more blended in shadow transitions. The table surface shows distinct directional strokes in cool colors, while background figures are suggested with simplified, loose marks. The overall handling is loose-to-moderate, never blended smooth; the painting declares its painted nature.

a working sequence

01
Block composition and establish proportions
Lightly sketch the figure's basic structure: the head tilted left, the seated torso, and the horizontal table line that divides the composition. Position the two background figures as simplified dark shapes above. Establish where the wine bottle sits on the table's right edge. This doesn't need detail—just proportional architecture.
02
Lay the value foundation with darks
Block in the darkest values first: the entire jacket with bold, sure strokes in near-black (mix Ivory Black with Raw Umber). Paint the background figures as simplified dark masses. Add the deepest shadows around the face. This establishes the tonal skeleton that everything else sits on.
03
Establish the table and cool color statement
Paint the table surface in the purple-blue mix (Ultramarine + Cadmium Red + White), using visible directional strokes. This cool passage is crucial—it creates the temperature contrast that makes the warm face sing. Leave it loose; the table doesn't need detail.
04
Build the face with warm underpainting
Block in the entire face with the warm orange-brown mix (#af6d45), letting it sit against the dark jacket and table. The face should feel bold and alive, not tentative. Keep the brushwork direct; this is about presence, not photographic likeness. Observe how the left side (toward light) is warmer and more saturated than the right.
05
Add facial features and shadow modeling
Use the darker brown mix to add the eyes, nose shadow, mouth line, and jaw definition. The features are simplified but intentional—each stroke should suggest the likeness rather than describe it. The right side of the face recedes into cooler, darker tones. Work expressively; let the brushstrokes show.
06
Define the collar and upper garment
Paint the red-orange collar or neck passage (the #a43c1e mix) where the face meets the jacket. This accent is warm and draws the eye; keep it bold. Refine the shoulders and where the jacket meets the table, using the dark mix with directional confidence.
07
Place and suggest the bottle and glass
Paint the wine bottle on the table's right side with dark, simple strokes—it's a small but important anchor. Add the glass nearby, suggested rather than detailed. Include a plate outline below. These objects don't demand realism; suggest them with minimal marks.
08
Refine background and light passages
Strengthen the background warm tones (oranges and ochres) around and behind the figure. Suggest the window or light source in the upper right with pale, light-struck tones. The background figures should feel present but subordinate—keep them dark and simplified. Add any light accents to the table where it catches light.
09
Final color and edge refinement
Step back and assess temperature and mood. Ensure the face is warm enough relative to the cool table. Refine edges where they matter most—the profile of the face, the table's front edge. Leave some areas rough and painterly. The painting should feel complete but unfinished, with expressive brushwork visible everywhere.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Blending the face too smoothly—the expressionist approach requires confident, visible brushstrokes; over-blending deadens the emotional intensity and likeness.
Making the table too detailed or realistic—it's a functional cool-color mass, not a still life subject; keep it flat and simple so it recedes.
Losing the temperature contrast by warming up the background too much or cooling the face too much; the orange-to-purple relationship is the painting's backbone.
Overworking the background figures—they should remain simplified and dark, just enough to suggest context; too much detail draws focus from the primary figure.

measured difficulty