Munch in Milan: the scream of the soul returns to Palazzo Reale

Milan is preparing to welcome one of the greatest artists of all time. 40 years on from the last exhibition, Edvard Munch is once again getting hearts racing at Palazzo Reale with a retrospective that promises to be an unmissable event. Curated by the celebrated expert Patricia G. Berman, the exhibition will lead viewers on a fascinating journey to explore the full artistic portfolio of the Norwegian master. From his first, youthful works, full of promise, to his last creations, marked by profound reflections on life and death, the exhibition will offer a full examination of an undisputed genius. Obviously, the iconic “Scream” will be present, in one of its most famous lithographic versions. However, the exhibition will go way beyond this masterpiece, presenting the public with a more intimate and complex picture of Munch. Disturbing portraits, landscapes loaded with mystery, and still-lifes of pulsing vitality; a pictorial universe that invites us to dive into the depths of the human soul.

Munch, however, is not simply the painter of “The Scream”. His art, rich with nuance and contradiction, also speaks of nature, of life and of hope. The Nordic landscapes that reflect the artist’s tormented soul and the portraits of enigmatic and melancholy women reveal a marked and profound sensitivity. Incessantly expanding, Munch’s gestures captured the very essence of reality, not as it appears externally, but at its deepest roots. The “pitto-segno” (pictoral gesture), as the art historian Antonio Benemia described it, is an existential study that goes beyond the visible, embracing the invisible, the irrational, the mystery that lies within each and every one of us. A bold and provocative style, apparently casual and marked by an evident desire to leave certain steps untaken. Ample and material brushstrokes that reveal a search for a new synthesis of artistic gesture and pictorial matter, one that, while fascinating, has left many viewers disoriented in the face of a form of beauty that does not conform to traditional standards. The choice of opaque colours and a technique that reflects the immediate gesture of the artist appears, almost, an attempt to expose the creative process, inviting the viewer to actively participate in constructing the meaning of the work.

Munch. The inner scream. From 14 September 2024 to 26 January 2025, an exhibition promoted by the Municipality of Milan - Culture and produced by Palazzo Reale and Arthemisia, in collaboration with the MUNCH Museum of Oslo. An unmissable opportunity for all art lovers.