Nathaniel Harris's enlightening talk, illustrated with many slides led us through the stages of Edvard Munch's life, as it affected his artistic progression.

We learnt of Munch's vehemence of mind and application in his youth, and how he was involved in the Bohemian circuit of Oslo; an intense contemporary self-portrait was a sure indication. Munch was a very able portraitist, as well as an impressionist painting in long hazy streaks, suggestive of viewing through a veil.

A three-year art scholarship was won by Munch, and subsequently significant changes were seen in his paintings: the atmosphere was clearer and brighter, the people more photographic.

Next he used pointillism, then came a much more stylised form where the swirling lines were akin to Art Nouveau.

His most famous picture, The Scream, belongs to this era.

Munch moved to Germany, becoming involved with Strindberg. An important group of paintings from this period, The Frieze of Life, depicts themes of love, death, and the three stages of women.

Drinking heavily, Munch spent time in a therapeutic clinic, resulting in another change of style: his paintings became bolder and less introverted.

Much of Munch's art combines sensations of death and sexuality, his romantic liaisons influencing him considerably.

By the end of his life, Munch, a prolific artist, had amassed more than a 1,000 paintings, also numerous lithographs, woodcuts and drawings and most were left to the Norwegian Government.

Interesting information, imparted knowledgeably by Nathaniel, made some of his listeners keen to see the original paintings of Edvard Munch.

Jill Hopkins