Edvard Munch

Etching, 1903, a fine impression printed in brownish-black with tone, Woll's second state of two, an unsigned impression, on sturdy wove paper, with wide margins, in good condition apart from a small rubbed area to the right margin, slight mount-staining, slight surface dirt (or stray pigment?) verso, framed

The Estate of the artist

Munch-Museet, Oslo, de-accesssioned 1969, with their stamps: numbered BONR.95/11

With Kaare Berntsen, Oslo

Private Collection, United Kingdom, acquired from the above in 1973

The image in good condition as catalogued. The small rubbed mark is 15mm from the right of the image. The band of mount-staining is 21mm from the image. Overall the print is in good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The motif of Edvard Munch's Girls on a Bridge has been widely recognized as one of his most celebrated and popular.   As was often the case with the artist's successful works, he continued to revisit the composition throughout his career, producing a total of twelve known oil paintings between 1901 and 1935, as well as the etching offered here and a number of variations in lithograph and woodcut.  The earlier end of this timeline also coincided with the artist's most prolific and artistically vital period.  As he wrote to his friend Jens Thiis, probably in 1933: "...those years from 1902 until the Copenhagen clinic [in 1908] were the unhappiest, the most difficult and yet the most fateful and productive years of my life."