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. In thiis portrait of his brother Andreas of 1884, we can see a development of the pen technique; here the strokes follow the form closely, producing a more lifelike, sculptural portrayal. It is not by chance that Andreas is depicted with a book in his hands and notes on the table. He had begun to study medicine and he must have been a diligent student, as the book appears as an attribute in virtually all Munch’s portraits of him. (MB)