plate no. 0758

Three Girls on the Jetty

Edvard Munch, 1903

oil, canvasExpressionismgenre paintingfiguresjettywaterskytreesbuildings

recreation guide

Edvard Munch’s 'Three Girls on the Jetty' (1903) is a genre painting that exemplifies his mature Expressionist style, characterized by a focus on emotional essence rather than strict realism. Munch’s approach, as noted in his biography, involves seeing only the 'essential' and subordinating all other details to convey what he has felt (Source 2). This work likely reflects his interest in depicting states of mind and everyday life with symbolic weight, consistent with his broader practice of using color and form to express inner turmoil or mood rather than external reality (Source 2, Source 5). The painting belongs to the genre tradition, which depicts ordinary people in common activities, though Munch’s treatment transforms the mundane into a psychological landscape (Source 3).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints	Primary medium for the artwork	—
Canvas	Support surface	—
Brushes (various sizes)	Applying paint with varied brushstroke techniques	—
Palette knife	Mixing paints and potentially applying thick impasto if consistent with Munch's texture	—
Solvent (turpentine or odorless mineral spirits)	Thinning paint and cleaning brushes	—

preparation

surface prep

Standard oil painting ground preparation. Munch’s specific surface preparation techniques for this period are not detailed in the provided sources, but general oil painting practice involves priming the canvas to ensure proper paint adhesion and longevity (Source 1).

underdrawing

Munch’s preparatory methods are not explicitly described in the sources. However, given his emphasis on capturing the 'essential' and his rejection of strict academic drawing lessons as 'numbing' (Source 5), the underdrawing was likely loose and gestural, serving as a guide for composition rather than a rigid outline. He may have sketched directly in paint or used a light charcoal sketch that was subsequently obscured.

underpainting

No specific underpainting technique is cited for Munch in the sources. General oil painting practice might involve a monochromatic underpainting to establish values, but Munch’s expressive style suggests he may have worked more directly with color to convey emotion (Source 2).

color palette

Varied hues

Munch used a variety of color palettes, often influenced by Post-Impressionists like Gauguin and Van Gogh, who used color to convey emotion (Source 5). Specific pigments for this painting are not listed.

General use in this artist's palette to create emotional tension and symbolic content.

Complementary contrasts

Likely use of complementary colors to create visual tension, a technique Munch employed to enhance emotional impact (Source 2, Source 6).

Creating contrast and emotional depth in the figures and background.

composition

Munch carefully calculated his compositions to create tension and emotion (Source 2). In 'Three Girls on the Jetty,' the composition likely emphasizes the figures' relationship to the environment, using simplified forms and sharp contrasts to convey a state of mind rather than a realistic depiction (Source 2). The arrangement of the three girls on the jetty would be structured to guide the viewer’s eye and evoke a specific psychological response, consistent with his symbolic approach (Source 2).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the basic forms of the three girls and the jetty loosely, focusing on the essential shapes and their spatial relationships.
Tip — Avoid rigid outlines; Munch’s style favors simplified forms and emotional expression over precise detail (Source 2).
Gestural sketching

underpainting

step 02
Apply a thin layer of paint to establish the overall color scheme and value structure, using broad brushstrokes.
Tip — Focus on the emotional tone of the scene rather than realistic accuracy (Source 2).
Alla prima or thin wash

first pass

step 03
Build up the forms of the figures and the jetty with thicker paint, using varied brushstrokes to convey texture and movement.
Tip — Munch employed a variety of brushstroke techniques to enhance the emotional content of his work (Source 2).
Impasto and varied brushwork

refining

step 04
Adjust colors and contrasts to heighten the emotional impact, ensuring that the composition conveys the intended mood.
Tip — Use complementary colors to create visual tension and emphasize the symbolic nature of the scene (Source 6).
Color harmony and contrast

finishing

step 05
Review the painting to ensure that all elements contribute to the overall emotional expression, making final adjustments as needed.
Tip — Munch considered a work complete once he had expressed everything on his mind, regardless of traditional notions of finish (Source 2).
Final adjustments

critical techniques

Emotional Expression through Color

Munch used color to convey emotion and psychological states, influenced by Post-Impressionists like Gauguin and Van Gogh (Source 5).

Simplified Forms and Heavy Outlines

Munch’s mature style features simplified forms and heavy outlines to emphasize the essential aspects of the subject (Source 2).

Calculated Composition for Tension

Munch carefully arranged elements in his compositions to create visual and emotional tension (Source 2).

common pitfalls

→Over-modeling or becoming too tied to outlines, which Munch’s style seeks to avoid in favor of emotional expression (Source 1, Source 2).
→Focusing on realistic detail rather than the essential emotional content, which contradicts Munch’s approach (Source 2).
→Using colors without considering their emotional impact, missing the opportunity to convey the intended mood (Source 5).

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 pigments used by Munch for 'Three Girls on the Jetty' are not detailed in the sources.
·Exact brushstroke patterns and layering techniques for this specific painting are not described.
·Munch’s specific preparatory sketches or underdrawings for this work are not available in the provided sources.

grounded in

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

The Practice of Oil Painting — ON COPYING↗
- Techniques — applied to General advice on avoiding over-modeling and focusing on essential forms.

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia bio — Edvard Munch — part 5↗
- Paris — applied to Understanding Munch’s influence from Post-Impressionists and his use of color for emotional expression.
- General Style — applied to Munch’s focus on the essential and emotional content over realism.
Wikipedia: Genre painting — Genre painting — part 1↗
- Definition — applied to Contextualizing the work as a genre painting depicting everyday life.
Wikipedia: Harmony (color) — Harmony (color) — part 1↗
- Color Theory — applied to Using complementary colors for visual tension and emotional impact.