Edvard Munch’s “Sister Inger” is an oil painting on canvas, created in 1884. The painting is a portrait of his youngest sister, Inger, who appears elegantly dressed in a black dress with her hands resting by her side. She holds a small hat in her hands that may have been used to protect it from strong winds or add the right pose for the artist. The background depicts glowing rocks on the shore and white incandescent light illuminating Inger’s white dress.
Munch was one of the leading expressionist artists, known for his preoccupation with human mortality, chronic illness and religious aspiration. The thickly applied paint of “Sister Inger” contributes to its emotive impact with painterly brushstrokes which capture light sources much like Van Gogh.
The painting is currently located at the National Gallery in Oslo, Norway and serves as one of Munch’s famous works. Despite being young when it was painted and not marrying like her older sister Laura who married Munch’s friend Jappe Nilssen, Inger survived into old age making few headlines unlike her famous brother Edvard Munch whose art continues being studied by millions around the world today.
