Harpy by Edvard Munch

Harpy

Edvard Munch · 1894

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“Stop to see this powerful drypoint print, where a solitary, anguished figure with sharp, almost bird-like features seems to emerge from darkness, capturing a raw emotional intensity through its stark lines and dramatic pose.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

In Edvard Munch's "Harpy," a solitary figure emerges from a stark, almost abstract background, her form a study in angularity and tension. Her head is thrown back, mouth open in a silent cry, while her hands are raised, seemingly in anguish or defense. The drypoint technique, with its incisive lines, lends a raw, almost visceral quality to the image, emphasizing the figure's gaunt features and the starkness of her surroundings. The sense of isolation is palpable, intensified by the dark, undefined space that envelops her. This work, created in 1894, captures a moment of intense psychological drama, a hallmark of the Symbolist and Expressionist movements that sought to externalize inner emotional states rather than merely depict objective reality.

DETAILS
Artist
Edvard Munch
Date
1894
Medium
Drypoint in black ink on heavyweight off-white wove plate paper
Location
Art Institute of Chicago
Dimensions
Image: 28.3 × 21.5 cm (11 3/16 × 8 1/2 in.); Plate: 29.8 × 22.9 cm (11 3/4 × 9 1/16 in.); Sheet: 62 × 44.7 cm (24 7/16 × 17 5/8 in.)
Collection
Prints and Drawings
Culture
Norway
Credit line
Clarence Buckingham Collection
ART MOVEMENTS
LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

Harpy
01

The sharp, almost claw-like fingers of the figure's raised hands.

02

The way the drypoint lines create a sense of vibrating energy around her form.

03

The stark contrast between the figure and the dark, unarticulated background.

04

The open mouth and upturned face, suggesting a silent scream or lament.

AUDIO DEEP DIVE

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THE ARTIST

Edvard Munch

1863–1944 · Norway

Norwegian painter whose 1893 work The Scream became one of Western art's most iconic images.

Read Munch’s full story
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Beyond Munch and Symbolism: works from the same years, and from the other movements Harpy belongs to.

Cart with Red and White Ox Same movement · Expressionism Cart with Red and White Ox Vincent van Gogh · 1884 · Kröller-Müller Museum A Woman Walking in a Garden Same era · 1870s–1900s A Woman Walking in a Garden Vincent van Gogh · 1887 · Frans Buffa & sons Birth Same movement · Expressionism Birth Marc Chagall · 1911 · Art Institute of Chicago Still Life with Crayfish Same era · 1870s–1900s Still Life with Crayfish Mikhail Larionov · 1900 · Museum Ludwig Crouching Nude in Shoes and Black Stockings, Back View Same movement · Expressionism Crouching Nude in Shoes and Black Stockings, Back View Egon Schiele · 1912 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884 Same era · 1870s–1900s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884 Okada Saburosuke · 1884 · Art Institute of Chicago Death in the Garden (Legend) Same movement · Expressionism Death in the Garden (Legend) Paul Klee · 1919 · Art Institute of Chicago Madame Léon Clapisson Same era · 1870s–1900s Madame Léon Clapisson Léon-Victor Dupré · 1883 · Art Institute of Chicago
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