Comment:
Edvard gradually took the difficult step from recording daily life objects to portraying the members of his family. In these portraits we can see how he tried out different techniques – with pencil, charcoal, and pen. Edvard's youngest sister Laura had a nervous disposition, suffered from schizophrenia, and was hospitalised periodically with what was diagnosed at the time as ‘hysteria’ and ‘melancholia’. In this drawing Laura is portrayed in pen, using short hatching strokes. There are almost no contour lines, instead Munch builds up forms and tonal values by varying the density of the hatching. (MB)