The artwork titled “Mother and Daughter” was created by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch in 1897. The piece is an oil on canvas painting belonging to the Expressionism movement and is classified as a genre painting. The work measures 135 x 163 cm and is part of the collection at the National Gallery in Oslo, Norway.
“Mother and Daughter” depicts two female figures set within a natural landscape at dusk or twilight. The mother, adorned in black, is seen seated to the right, her posture and expression filled with a sense of weariness or contemplation. To the left stands the daughter, dressed in a white gown that contrasts sharply with her mother’s dark attire and the dimming light of the surroundings. Her stance is upright and she faces forward, possibly symbolizing youth and the future, in contrast to her mother’s introspective and static pose. The color palette is dominated by rich, emotive hues that create a mood of introspection and emotional depth—hallmarks of Munch’s expressive style. The loose brushwork and the blending of foreground and background elements give the artwork a dreamlike quality, emphasizing the emotional state over realistic depiction.