Edvard Munch 1863-1944

The very rare lithograph delicately hand-coloured in yellow, blue and green watercolour, 1896, signed and dated 1897 in pencil, inscribed trykt Mssr. Clot. Paris (printed by A. Clot, Paris), on greyish white china paper, with unusually wide margins, in good condition apart from a hairline vertical crease extending into lower image, slight paper discoloration in margins, a water-stain to lower left of sheet associated with the removal of a later ink inscription (see provenance), a small tongue shaped incision to upper right sheet edge, short tears and small losses at edge of sheet, small defects associated with previous hinging at upper corners verso

Ex. coll Harald Holst Halvorsen, Oslo, purchased from the artist on 2? February 1942, inscribed by Halvorsen:

Kjöpt av Edv. Munch 2?/2 1942
Farvet av hans selv
Harald Holst Halvorsen

(Bought from Edvard Munch 2?/2 1942 /Coloured by himself /Harald Holst Halvorsen)

Private Collection, Norway (purchased from Halvorsen circa 1950s by the present owner's father)

Woll cites only one hand-coloured impression of this important subject.

The present lot is of special significance as it is a rare impression with hand-colouring, setting it apart from examples that have appeared at auction in the course of the past twenty years. Munch originally entitled the composition Stars, symbolizing the cosmic and enduring pull between the sexes, the importance of this motif is evidenced by the application of the wonderful hand-colouring of this example. The superb quality of the printing by Clot reveals the subtlety of technique employed by Munch in the execution of the image on the lithographic stone. The outline of the woman’s hair is scratched into the stone, encircling the head of the man and representing female ensnarement suggesting that the relationship between the two figures will not end happily.