Information:
Tel. +47 22 67 37 74
Fax +47 22 67 33 41
Chief Curator:
Arne Eggum
Director:
Per Bj. Boym, Oslo City Art Collections
Open:
January 1 - May 31 and September 16 - December 31, Tue., Wed., Fri., Sat. 10-16; Thu., Sun. 10-18.
Open daily from June 1 until September 15.
Closed:
on Mondays from September 16 to May 31, and on May 1, May 17, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
After Edvard Munch's death on the 23 January 1944, it was learned that he had bequeathed all the works in his possession unconditionally to the City of Oslo. This magnificent bequest comprised some 1,200 paintings, 4,500 drawings, 18,000 prints, 6 six scupltures, in addition to lithographic stones, woodcut blocks and etching plates, and a large collection of notes, books, newspaper cuttings and other documents. Munch's sister, Inger, has subsequently donated a number of other paintings and drawings, as well as Munch's comprehensive correspondence. The net result is a unique body of material for studying the artist's life and work. To ensure that the public would benefit from this gift, the Oslo City Council decided in 1946 that a special Munch museum be built. An architectural competition was organized in 1951, and the museum was opened to the public on 29 May 1963.
Exhibition space totals about 1,150 square metres, including a lecture hall which can also be used for temporary exhibitions. In addition, there is a library, offices and storerooms, and a technical department for restoration work, photography, framing etc. In the exhibition section, which is all on one floor, only a relatively small proportion of the total collection is on view, for the intention is to vary the exhibits from time to time, and for this reason this part of the museum employs a highly flexible mounting system.
Exhibitions:
Major works from the collections will shown throughout the summer and autumn of 1995.
The museum's Print Gallery features the special exhibition "Edvard Munch 1895 - his first year as a graphic artist". This exhibition comprises 150 works.
Another special exhibition, "Edvard Munch and Henrik Ibsen" is on show in the West Wing of the museum.
Opening on October 22, 1995 is a new exhibition demonstrating how Munch experimented with materials and techniques.
January 15 - February 15, 1996: Art Noir - Camera Work by Edvard Munch, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Hugo Simberg and August Strindberg