Student Artwork Guide — Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed

Name Class Date

Edvard Munch, Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed. Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist: Edvard Munch topimpressionists.com/en/artists/edvard-munch/
Artist’s dates: 1863 – 1944
Medium: Acrylic On Canvas
Movement: Expressionism Colour and shape deliberately distorted so the picture shows an emotion rather than a likeness.
Period: Modern
Artistic style: Psychological realism
Influences: Symbolism
Notable elements or techniques: Distorted forms; Bold brushstrokes
Subject or theme: Mortality; Anxiety

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Edvard Munch died in 1944; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 2014.

Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed — Edvard Munch

When might this have been painted?

main years
late works

1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940

06
716
1726
2736
3746
4756
5766
6776
7781

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 81 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Edvard Munch (1863–1944) every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1893 Main working years: 1893–1908 Late works: from 1908

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

The Scream, 1893 topimpressionists.com/en/art/edvard-munch-the-scream-8XXU48-en/
Melancholy, 1894 topimpressionists.com/en/art/edvard-munch-melancholy-8XXU3N-en/
Madonna, 1894 topimpressionists.com/en/art/edvard-munch-madonna-8YDETZ-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/edvard-munch-self-portrait-between-clock-and-bed-9H5RMR-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

Gray #778673

Catalogued palette

#778673
#AA7916
#2C3524
#CFCAB1

These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

Main colour name: Gray
Intensity: Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Softly Mixed Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Bright How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

Where in the world is this painting looked at?

under 1%
1–3%
3–8%
8–20%
20% and over

This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Edvard Munch over the last twelve months — 87 countries in all. Where these figures come from

The ten leading countries

1 China 24.4%
2 Spain 14.4%
3 France 8.7%
4 United States of America 5.9%
5 Singapore 4.2%
6 Hong Kong 4.1%
7 Italy 3.6%
8 Brazil 3.2%
9 Japan 2.4%
10 Germany 1.8%
· 77 other countries 27.3%

Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

The 20 most looked-at works by Edvard Munch

1 The Scream, 1893 28.0%
2 Madonna, 1894 7.9%
3 Melancholy, 1894 6.7%
4 Near the bed of death (fever), 1915 2.0%
5 The Child and Death, 1899 1.8%
6 Kiss, 1897 1.3%
7 Ashes, 1894 1.1%
8 Girls on the Pier, 1904 1.0%
9 The Day After, 1895 0.9%
10 Christmas in the Brothel, 1905 0.9%
11 Jealousy, 1895 0.9%
12 The Girls on the Bridge, 1901 0.7%
13 The Dance of Life, 1899 0.7%
14 Madonna, 1894 0.7%
15 Self-Portrait, 1895 0.6%
16 Man and Woman I, 1905 0.5%
17 Jealousy, 1907 0.5%
18 To the Forest, 1897 0.5%
19 Cree (casein on cardboard) 2, 1893 0.5%
37 Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed this painting 0.3%

Together these works take 57.5% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 629 works by this artist, of which 473 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 37 of them, with 0.3% of that attention. The same counts, month by month

Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed — Edvard Munch

Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed

Edvard Munch’s Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed stands as a haunting emblem of Expressionism—a movement dedicated to conveying raw emotion rather than objective representation. Created in 1940-43 during Munch’s final artistic period, this painting isn't merely an image; it’s a visceral exploration of anxiety, mortality, and the inescapable confrontation with one’s own fading vitality. It resides within the Munch Museum in Oslo and is accompanied by reproductions available on AllPaintingsStore.com.

Munch’s artistic journey was profoundly shaped by personal tragedy—the early deaths of his mother and sister instilled a deep preoccupation with loss and suffering that permeated his oeuvre. This painting embodies precisely this psychological intensity, reflecting his own anxieties about aging and the encroaching darkness of death.

Analysis of Style and Technique

The artwork’s distinctive style is unmistakably Expressionist. Munch eschewed traditional realism, opting instead for distorted forms and jarring lines to communicate inner turmoil. Thick brushstrokes dominate the canvas, layering colors—primarily muted yellows, blues, and reds—to create an atmosphere of unease and melancholy. The artist meticulously applied pigment, capturing not just what he saw but how he felt. This technique is evident in the way Munch renders the figure’s torso and limbs, emphasizing their fragility and vulnerability.

Symbolism: Time, Mortality, and Isolation

The Clock: Representing relentless time passing and impending doom, the clock dominates the composition. Its facelessness underscores the indifference of time to human suffering.

The Bed: Symbolizing rest, vulnerability, and ultimately death, the bed contrasts sharply with the vibrancy of the room behind it.

The Room Behind: The illuminated room symbolizes Munch’s past life—a reminder of what has been lost and a poignant contrast to his present state.

Munch's deliberate use of color contributes significantly to the painting’s emotional impact. The muted yellows and blues evoke feelings of sadness and decay, while the reds hint at suppressed passion and impending danger. These colors aren’t merely decorative; they are integral to conveying Munch’s psychological state.

Historical Context: Expressionism's Roots

Expressionism emerged in early 20th-century Europe as a reaction against Impressionism’s focus on optical perception. Artists like Munch sought to express subjective experience—fear, anxiety, despair—rather than objective reality. They utilized distorted forms and bold colors to convey raw emotion, mirroring the turbulent social and intellectual climate of the time. Munch's influence extended beyond painting; he championed Expressionist ideals and helped establish it as a prominent artistic movement.

To appreciate Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed fully, consider its place within Expressionism’s broader artistic landscape. Explore other notable works by Munch—such as Despair and Puberty, available on AllPaintingsStore.com—to gain a deeper understanding of his artistic vision.

Discover the raw emotional power of Edvard Munch's art

Explore our collection of hand-made oil painting reproductions on AllPaintingsStore.com

Experience the intensity and depth of Expressionism firsthand

You can also delve into other masterpieces by Munch, including *The Scream*, showcased at SFMOMA and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York—accessible on AllPaintingsStore.com.

Artist

Edvard Munch

Born in Adelsbruk, Sweden

A Life Shaped by Loss

Edvard Munch arrived in the world in 1863, born into the stark landscapes of Norway. His early years were defined by a heavy presence of grief that would later find its way onto his canvases. The deaths of his mother and his sister, Sophie, both taken by tuberculosis, left a deep mark on his young mind. These losses created a preoccupation with mortality and the fragility of life that stayed with him forever. He grew up in a household where the shadows of sickness were never far away.

His father, Christian, was a physician who struggled with intense religious devotion and mental instability. This atmosphere of dread and the vivid ghost stories told in his childhood helped shape his later visions. Munch did not merely paint what he saw; he sought to externalize his internal state. He called this approach soul painting. It was a way to translate psychological distress into visual form, using the colors and shapes of his own experience.

The Path to Expressionism

Munch began his formal studies at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania, which is now known as Oslo. During this time, he moved within bohemian circles that challenged the strict rules of academic art. A significant influence was Hans Jæger, a nihilist who encouraged Munch to abandon conventional styles and instead focus on his own subjective emotions. This shift led him toward the development of Expressionism.

Travels through Europe brought new perspectives to his work. In Paris, he encountered the techniques of artists like Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh, particularly their use of color. In Berlin, his connections with figures such as August Strindberg further pushed his investigations into psychological themes. He began to move away from naturalistic representation, opting instead for distorted forms and rhythmic lines that could communicate the tremors of human existence.

Themes and Lasting Impact

Much of his work belongs to a series he called The Frieze of Life, where he explored the recurring cycles of love, fear, death, and anxiety. Some of his most recognized paintings include:

The Scream: A work from 1893 that uses swirling, fiery landscapes to represent existential dread.

Madonna: A piece that explores themes of sexuality and mortality.

The Sick Child: A poignant reminder of the loss of his sister.

Puberty: An exploration of the physical and psychological changes of youth.

Munch was a highly active printmaker, using techniques like etching, lithography, and woodcut to expand his reach. He possessed over one thousand paintings at the time of his death in 1944. His ability to confront the darker aspects of the human condition helped pave the way for later movements like German Expressionism. Today, much of his legacy is preserved in the Munch Museum in Oslo, where his work continues to speak to the complexities of the human psyche.

Where to read more

The artist Edvard Munch topimpressionists.com/en/artists/edvard-munch/
Similar works More works to compare topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/edvard-munch-self-portrait-between-clock-and-bed-9H5RMR-en/
Article Edvard Munch's Masterpieces: 25 Iconic Paintings for Art Lovers topimpressionists.com/en/articles/edvard-munch-s-masterpieces-25-iconic-paintings-for-art-lovers-en/
Article Egon Schiele's Masterpieces: 25 Paintings That Define Expressionism topimpressionists.com/en/articles/egon-schiele-s-masterpieces-25-paintings-that-define-expressionism-en/
Article Expressionism's Soul: 10 Masterpieces for Your Home topimpressionists.com/en/articles/expressionism-s-soul-10-masterpieces-for-your-home-en/
Article Abstract Expressionism's 10 Defining Masterpieces topimpressionists.com/en/articles/abstract-expressionism-s-10-defining-masterpieces-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed

topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/edvard-munch-self-portrait-between-clock-and-bed-9H5RMR-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: Munch, Edvard. Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed. n.d., https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/edvard-munch-self-portrait-between-clock-and-bed-9H5RMR-en/
APA: Munch, Edvard (n.d.). Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed [Painting]. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/edvard-munch-self-portrait-between-clock-and-bed-9H5RMR-en/
Chicago: Edvard Munch. Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed. n.d. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/edvard-munch-self-portrait-between-clock-and-bed-9H5RMR-en/
Harvard: Munch, Edvard (n.d.) Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed. Available at: https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/edvard-munch-self-portrait-between-clock-and-bed-9H5RMR-en/

Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed — Edvard Munch

Look closely

Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
Our catalogue files this work under: self-portrait, clock, bed. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
Look back at The Scream (1893), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
Expressionism: Colour and shape deliberately distorted so the picture shows an emotion rather than a likeness. Where can you see that in this work?

Your response

Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed — Edvard Munch

How well do you know this artwork?

Tick one answer for each of the 5 questions below. Each has exactly one correct answer.

1. What artistic movement is Edvard Munch’s ‘Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed’ primarily associated with?
- A Romanticism
- B Impressionism
- C Expressionism
2. The painting depicts Munch himself positioned between what two symbolic objects?
- A A mountain and a river
- B A cathedral and a forest
- C A clock and a bed
3. What is the dominant color palette used in ‘Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed’, contributing to its melancholic atmosphere?
- A Bright reds and yellows
- B Pale blues and greens
- C Muted browns and grays
4. What technique is Munch known for employing in his paintings, characterized by bold brushstrokes and vivid colors?
- A Pointillism
- B Cubism
- C Impasto
5. According to the description, what does ‘Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed’ represent in terms of Munch's artistic intentions?
- A A celebration of youthful vitality
- B An exploration of existential anxieties about mortality
- C A depiction of idealized beauty

My score: ____ out of 5

Answer key — for the teacher

This starts a fresh printed page, so it can simply be left out of the copies.

1C · 2C · 3C · 4C · 5A

Check any answer against the catalogue record for this painting

Questions & Answers

How strong are the colors of "Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed"?

The colors of "Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed" by Edvard Munch show a balanced soft saturation with a balanced intensity.

Is "Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed" by Edvard Munch a painting, a drawing or a print?

"Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed" is a wall art piece.

Where does "Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed" stand among Edvard Munch's recurring subjects?

Edvard Munch's recurring themes include psychological expressionism, fear & existential dread, memento mori symbolism, late munch’s reflection, exploring inner turmoil, critique of modern life, legacy of anxiety; "Self Portrait Between Clock and Bed" focuses on self-portrait, clock, bed, mortality, anxiety, melancholy, symbolism, expressionism.