Edvard Munch Self-Portrait Between Clock and Bed 1943 Art Print

There is a profound stillness that hangs in the final years of an artist’s life. In This print, Edvard Munch stands stiffly between a faceless grandfather clock and a bed covered in a red-and-black striped spread. The composition is tight, capturing the aging master in his studio at Ekely, where the vibrant yellows and blues of the walls contrast with the heavy, dark suit of the central figure. The broad, visible brushstrokes and high-key lighting create a tension between the domestic setting and the psychological weight of the artist’s gaze.

This work captures the meditation on time and mortality that defined Munch’s later years. By placing himself between the clock, a symbol of time passing, and the bed, a symbol of birth and death, the artist invites the viewer into a space of deep introspection. It evokes a sense of quiet resignation and the dignity of a creator still observing the world even as he prepares to leave it. The atmosphere is not one of despair, but of honest, unblinking awareness.

Those drawn to mid century modern art will recognise the appeal here, much as they would in our edvard munch posters.