plate no. 0238

The Sick Child

oilExpressionismgenre paintingfigureinteriorsicknessemotionbedsidechair

recreation guide

The Sick Child (1886) is a seminal work in Edvard Munch’s oeuvre, serving as a visual record of the traumatic death of his sister, Johanne Sophie, from tuberculosis. The painting is distinctive for its raw emotional intensity and its departure from academic realism, aligning with Munch’s philosophy that art should express inner feelings rather than merely imitate nature (Source 1, Source 7). The composition focuses on the psychological weight of grief, depicting the dying girl propped by a large white pillow and a grieving woman, likely her aunt, clutching her hands (Source 1). The work is characterized by a 'sickly pallor' and a 'haunted expression,' utilizing color and form to convey despair and guilt rather than anatomical precision (Source 1, Source 7).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (Ultramarine, White, Black, Red, Yellow)	Primary pigments for glazing and scumbling as described in traditional oil practice.	Artist-grade oil paints
Linseed oil or Oil of Copavia	Medium for glazing and ensuring proper drying layers.	Stand oil or refined linseed oil
Canvas or Panel	Support surface.	Linen canvas primed with gesso
Charcoal or Thinned Paint	For initial sketching and underdrawing.	Vine charcoal or raw umber thinned with solvent
Solvents (Mineral Spirits/Turpentine)	Thinning paint for initial layers and cleaning brushes.	Odorless mineral spirits

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a neutral ground. While Munch’s specific ground preparation for this 1886 work is not explicitly detailed in the sources, traditional oil painting practice involves sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 8). Given Munch’s association with the Kristiania Bohème and his rejection of narrow bourgeois conventions, the surface should be prepared to allow for expressive, non-academic handling of the paint (Source 6).

underdrawing

Sketch the composition lightly. Munch’s works are often described as 'not complete' in the academic sense because he paints only the essential emotional content (Source 7). The underdrawing should establish the profile of the girl, the large white pillow, the dark blanket, and the grieving woman, avoiding rigid outlines that might constrain the expressive brushwork later (Source 1, Source 7).

underpainting

Apply a monochrome underpainting (grisaille). Traditional practice, referenced in the sources, suggests creating a grisaille base by mentally extracting red and yellow colors to establish form and value before applying color (Source 3). This allows the artist to focus on the 'ravages of the disease' and the emotional weight of the scene without being distracted by color mixing initially (Source 1, Source 3).

color palette

White

Lead White or Titanium White

The large thick pillow propping up the girl; creates high contrast against the dark elements (Source 1).

Dark/Black

Black, Ultramarine, or dark earth tones

The heavy blanket, the dark-haired woman’s clothing, and the ominous curtain symbolizing death (Source 1).

Sickly Pallor

White mixed with subtle hints of red/yellow or grey

The girl’s face and hands, depicting her frailty and tuberculosis symptoms (Source 1).

Red/Yellow

Transparent reds and yellows

Glazing and scumbling to add warmth and life to the flesh tones and emotional intensity, applied over the dry grisaille (Source 3).

composition

The composition centers on the girl in profile, lying on her deathbed, with a large white pillow partially hiding a circular mirror on the wall (Source 1). The grieving woman is positioned to the right, her head bowed, creating a diagonal tension between the two figures (Source 1). The girl looks towards a dark, portentous curtain on the left, which serves as a symbol of death and draws the viewer’s eye (Source 1). The composition avoids exact bisections, using the prominent subject off-center to create emotional tension (Source 5). The contrast between the detailed, expressive faces and the simpler background elements aids the eye in focusing on the emotional core (Source 5).

step by step

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

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the basic forms of the girl, the pillow, the woman, and the curtain using charcoal or thinned paint.
Tip — Focus on the profile of the girl and the bowed head of the woman to capture the emotional dynamic.
Initial sketching

underpainting

step 02
Apply a grisaille underpainting using black, ultramarine, and white to establish values and forms.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors to focus on form and light/shadow.
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Once the grisaille is dry, begin glazing with transparent coats of red and yellow tones.
Tip — Apply thin layers of color to build up the sickly pallor of the girl’s skin and the warmth of the scene.
Glazing

refining

step 04
Use scumbling to add semi-opaque layers, particularly for the white pillow and the dark blanket.
Tip — Scumbling over darker grounds can create a cold, grey bloom, useful for the somber mood.
Scumbling

finishing

step 05
Refine the facial expressions to convey the 'haunted' look of the girl and the grief of the woman.
Tip — Avoid over-modeling; Munch’s style is about capturing the essential emotion, not academic perfection.
Expressive brushwork

varnishing

step 06
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and unify the glazes.
Tip — Ensure all layers are fully dry to prevent cracking.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing

Applying transparent coats of color over a dry underpainting to build depth and luminosity, particularly for flesh tones.

Scumbling

Applying semi-opaque paint over a darker ground to create texture and subtle color shifts, such as the grey bloom on the pillow or blanket.

Emotional Expression over Realism

Prioritizing the conveyance of despair and guilt over anatomical accuracy, consistent with Munch’s 'soul painting' philosophy.

common pitfalls

→Over-modeling the figures, which contradicts Munch’s expressive style and the advice to avoid being 'too much tied down to your outline' (Source 2, Source 7).
→Applying wet paint over wet paint without following the 'fat over lean' rule, which can lead to cracking and peeling (Source 8).
→Focusing too much on realistic detail rather than the emotional essence, which Munch considered the primary goal of his art (Source 7).

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.

·The specific pigments Munch used in 1886 are not detailed in the sources; modern equivalents are suggested based on general oil painting practice.
·The exact texture and thickness of the paint application (impasto vs. thin glaze) for specific areas like the curtain or blanket are not explicitly described, requiring artistic interpretation based on the 'expressive' style.
·The precise dimensions of the canvas are not provided, though the composition notes can guide the aspect ratio.

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 Techniques of glazing and scumbling, and the use of grisaille underpainting.

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: The Sick Child (Munch)↗
- The Sick Child (Munch) — part 1 — applied to Subject matter, emotional content, and visual details like the pillow, curtain, and expressions.
Wikipedia bio — Edvard Munch↗
- Edvard Munch — part 7 — applied to Munch’s artistic philosophy of expressing inner feelings and avoiding academic completeness.
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to General oil painting techniques, including 'fat over lean' rule and drying times.
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — part 6 — applied to General compositional principles like center of interest and avoiding bisections.