New graphic novel explores Edvard Munch's tormented life and art

A new graphic novel titled "Munch" by Marco Ferrandino (text) and Germano Massenzio (illustrations) offers an introspective biography of Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (1863–1944). Published by Douglas Edizioni in 2023, the 120-page book will be officially presented at Comicon in Naples from April 28 to May 1. The narrative begins with Munch's 1893 Berlin exhibition "Frieze of Life" and then traces his life backwards, covering his impoverished childhood, the deaths of his mother and sister Sophie, his father's disapproval of his artistic career, his tumultuous relationship with Tulla Larsen, and the Nazi seizure of his works deemed immoral. Rather than using Munch's own voice, the book lets his paintings and drawings speak, incorporating reproductions of his key works. It also includes essays by Marco Pacella and Francesco Chiatante. The release coincides with the 160th anniversary of Munch's birth and the 130th anniversary of "The Scream."