Description:

Edvard Munch ALS: "It is at the moment not easy to create any useful material"

A 2pp autograph letter in German signed by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) as "Edvard Munch" in the bottom right corner verso. Written on September 9, 1932 at Munch's home Ekely, Skøyen, in southeastern Norway. Inscribed on both sides of a cream stock card, double hole punched along the right edge. The bottom hole is partly torn. Else near fine. 5.5" x 3.5." The English translation accompanying the letter is mounted on a stock card bearing a souvenir Austrian stamp depicting a Christ figure after a Munch contemporary, Hans Fronius. Provenance: Ex-Noel Goldblatt (ca. 1926-2003) of the famous Goldblatt's Department Store, to a prominent Los Angeles, California collector.

Edvard Munch wrote an unidentified correspondent in part: "Please excuse me. Recently I have had to put off business and correspondence to the side. It has been impossible for me to write a single line. I will of course, check what you have asked me about. It is at the moment not easy to create any useful material. We can come after I have rested and return to this matter…"

Munch's letter is frustratingly vague about what pressing matters monopolized his time. Was it a new painting, or an intriguing new artistic theory that he was exploring? After the notoriety he achieved with "The Scream"-- various versions of which were completed in multiple media between 1893-1910--Munch continued to create. Much of this later artwork was self-portraits; Munch painted himself well into his 80s.

Munch also depicted rural scenes inspired by his estate at Ekely, located about 7 km west of the Norwegian capital of Oslo. Munch had purchased the 45-acre estate in 1916. The artist lived there in semi-solitude in a Swiss style main house, and worked in several custom-designed work studios, for 28 years until his death in 1944. Munch's house was demolished in 1960 but visitors can still tour one of his studios at Ekely (barring any Covid-19 restrictions at this time of this writing, in August 2021.)

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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September 29, 2021 10:30 AM EDT
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