Death in the Sickroom

Edvard Munch

Oil on canvas

Munch Museum

This haunting Expressionist masterpiece depicts Munch's entire family gathered in a room during the final moments of his sister Sophie's life, who died of tuberculosis in 1877 at age 15. The composition shows each family member isolated in their grief—the dying girl sits unseen in a wicker chair while her siblings, father, and aunt occupy the sparse room, their emotional isolation emphasized by the sickly green walls and disturbing orange floor. Munch, a Norwegian painter who himself nearly died from tuberculosis as a child, channeled his lifelong trauma into this deeply personal work that would become part of his celebrated Frieze of Life series exploring themes of love, death, and anxiety.