The artwork titled “Four Ages in Life” was created by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch in 1902. This oil on canvas painting is part of the Symbolism art movement and measures 130.4 x 110.4 cm. It is a symbolic painting that currently resides in the Rasmus Meyer Collection in Bergen, Norway.
The artwork captures four figures, each likely representing different stages of human life. The figures are positioned sequentially on a pathway, suggesting the passage of time and the progression through life’s various stages. The child in the foreground, with a vivid red hat, seems to embody youth and innocence, its gaze directed toward the viewer. Directly behind stands a young woman, her facial expression reflective and solemn, symbolizing maturity or adolescence.
In the center, the painting features a dark-clad man with a stoic face, which could be associated with adulthood and the prime of life. Finally, in the background, there is a hunched figure wrapped in dark garments and a veil—perhaps a representation of old age or the final years of life, with its face partially obscured, pointing to the diminishing presence or eventual invisibility of individuals as they age.
In the backdrop, you can see a winter landscape, with muted colors of houses and weak daylight that contribute to a melancholic atmosphere. The artwork employs somber tones and loose brushwork, common in Munch’s oeuvre, to express existential themes and complex human emotions.