Edvard Munch
1863-1944, Norwegian
His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dread of inheriting a mental condition that ran in the family.
Studying at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania (today's Oslo), Munch began to live a bohemian life under the influence of nihilist Hans Jæger, who urged him to paint his own emotional and psychological state ('soul painting') - from this emerged his distinctive style.
