Love and Pain by Edvard Munch

By: Malcolm Ford

This painting evokes a great sadness, everything about the pose screams this is a hug meant to quell a great agony. A shared sadness between the two figures maybe a loss or tragedy has befallen them and this is the only way that seems correct to comfort one another. Even though we see very little of these characters’ faces the emotions are clear and you can almost hear the muffled sound the man sobbing might make. As well as the quiet consolation of the woman holding him.