Norwegian painter and printmaker. After studying engineering at a technical college, Munch enrolled at the Royal School of Art and Design of Kristiania, Norway. He experimented with naturalism and impressionism. His evocative, psychological themes built upon symbolism and were influenced by German Expressionism, as they represented states of mind rather than reality. The influence of mental illness in his family became a popular subject matter in his works. He pursued art under fierce opposition from his father, who destroyed some of his works and refused to give him money for supplies. Over his career, his drinking and brawling became an acute problem, and upon finally seeking treatment (1908), his work became less pessimistic and more colorful. In WWII, the Nazis confiscated many of his paintings and upon his death, framed him to be a Nazi sympathizer.
