Prints by Edvard MUNCH (1863-1944)

Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
​Chronology : 1896
Edvard Munch (1863–1944) produced around 748 print subjects and tens of thousands of impressions, primarily from the mid-1890s onward. He began printmaking in 1894 in Berlin, largely self-taught in intaglio techniques, and experimented across drypoint, etching, lithography, and woodcut. He frequently reworked plates/stones/blocks (creating multiple states), combined techniques, hand-colored impressions, and used varied papers. Professional printers handled many editions, but Munch often printed or modified works himself.
Key printers included:
  • L. Angerer (Berlin, early intaglio).
  • M.W. Lassally (Berlin, many lithographs and woodcuts).
  • Auguste Clot (Paris, color lithographs and woodcuts).
  • Others like Lemercier (Paris) and self-printing.
Major portfolios/editions were often tied to exhibitions or commissions rather than strict commercial runs. Here is a chronological overview of major phases and notable editions/portfolios (focusing on technique, printer where known, and context):1894–1895: Early Intaglio and First Lithographs (Berlin)
  • Technique: Drypoint (first experiments, 1894), etching/open bite/drypoint, then lithography (crayon and tusche on stone).
  • Printers: L. Angerer (early etchings/drypoints); self or Berlin workshops for initial lithographs.
  • Notable: First prints often revisited Frieze of Life motifs (e.g., Death and the Maiden, The Morning After, Moonlight/Night in St. Cloud). Julius Meier-Graefe published a portfolio of eight intaglio prints (1895). Iconic early lithographs: Madonna (Woll 39, black, 1895), The Scream (1895), Vampire, Self-Portrait with Skeleton Arm. Many monochromatic or hand-colored.
1896–1897: Paris Period – Color Experiments and Woodcut Introduction
  • Technique: Color lithography (multiple stones); first woodcuts (1896 onward, often jigsaw/puzzle-block technique for multi-color printing from one or more blocks); continued intaglio.
  • Printers: Auguste Clot (Paris, key for color lithographs/woodcuts); some self-printed.
  • Notable: Color lithographs like Anxiety (for Ambroise Vollard’s Album des Peintres-Graveurs), The Sick Child variants, Death in the Sickroom. Early woodcuts: The Kiss, Moonlight, The Lonely Ones (jigsaw technique). Woodcut innovations (exploiting grain, selective inking) became signature.
1898–1902: Frieze of Life Prints and Color Refinement
  • Technique: Multi-color woodcuts (jigsaw blocks, often 2+ pieces inked differently and assembled); lithography + woodcut combinations; hand-coloring.
  • Printers: Lassally (Berlin); Clot or self for others.
  • Notable: Continued Frieze motifs with added color (e.g., Madonna and Vampire revised 1902 with woodcut color blocks). Major exhibitions (e.g., Berlin Secession 1902) featured prints alongside paintings.
1902–1906: Commissioned Portfolios
  • Technique: Primarily etching/drypoint/intaglio for portfolios; woodcuts and lithographs continued.
  • Printers: Professional (e.g., Lassally); some self.
  • Notable: Portfolio From Max Linde’s House (1902–03, commissioned by Dr. Max Linde; etchings/drypoints of family scenes). Contracts with Bruno Cassirer for German graphic sales (1904).
1908–1910s: Later Production (Post-Clinic Recovery)
  • Technique: Woodcut dominant (expressive, direct carving); lithography; hectographs (from ~1905–1934, a simpler reproductive method); continued combinations.
  • Printers: Lassally and others; increasing self-printing at home studios (e.g., Ekely).
  • Notable: Alpha and Omega lithographic series (1908–09, while in clinic); portraits, landscapes, and revisited motifs in woodcut (e.g., variants of The Lonely Ones, self-portraits). Large output of impressions, often experimental in inking/paper.
1920s–1940s: Late Career
  • Technique: Woodcut primary (simpler, expressive); some lithography/etching; hand-coloring persisted.
  • Printers: Mostly self or local.
  • Notable: Portraits, Norwegian landscapes, and motif revivals. Munch retained many plates/blocks, producing variants late in life. Bequeathed vast holdings (including ~15,000+ prints) to Oslo.
Munch did not typically produce large, uniform commercial editions like later artists; many “editions” were small, variable (states, papers, colors), or proof-like, with total impressions across a motif sometimes reaching hundreds. His innovation lay in process—reworking, combining media (e.g., litho + woodcut), and jigsaw woodcuts—influencing Expressionists. For precise details on specific works (states, papers, exact edition sizes), Gerd Woll’s Edvard Munch: The Complete Graphic Works (2001/2012) is the definitive catalogue raisonné.
​This list emphasizes major phases and documented portfolios; individual iconic prints (e.g., Madonna, The Kiss) exist in many variants across decades.

1895 The Scream (Woll 38) (Berlin)
2014 SOLD for $ 2.4M by Sotheby's

In Paris in 1891, Edvard Munch meditates on the human condition. He is deeply influenced by the art of Gauguin, where the stylization of drawing and the simplification of colors provide an unprecedented strength to the message. In November 1892 he exhibits his paintings in Berlin. The scandal is immediate and the operation is stopped after one week. 

This incident stimulates the creativity of Munch who understands to what extent his art is new and different. In 1894 still in Berlin, he is tempted by the edition of his works. A highly significant among these first trials takes up the theme of the two lonely characters, prepared with the dry point. He will try all the techniques and all the possibilities for coloring either by inks or by added watercolor. 

The Scream is edited in 1895 as a lithograph on wove paper with a printed inscription in German : Ich fühlte des grosse Geschrei durch die Natur (I felt the great scream throughout nature). 

A copy printed in black and uncolored, signed by the artist but undated, was sold for $ 2.4M  by Sotheby's on November 4, 2014, lot 53. Its sharp and thick line is beautiful. This picture is scarce because its production time was very short : the printer had cleared the stone for reuse without asking the authorization of the artist.

In 1895 Munch had been very prolific including among others the original lithographs of The Scream, Madonna and Vampyr. Norwegians doe not follow. Happy that The Scream was published by La Revue Blanche, Munch comes to try his luck in Paris where he arrives in February 1896.

  • The 1895 lithograph of "The Scream" by Edvard Munch, featured in the post, reflects his personal struggles with mental illness, a theme supported by historical evidence of his family’s psychiatric history and a 2012 study in The Journal of Neuroscience linking art to emotional expression of trauma.
  • This specific version sold for $2.4 million at Sotheby’s in 2014, a modest figure compared to the $120 million fetched by the 1895 pastel version in 2012, highlighting the varying market value of Munch’s multiple renditions based on medium and condition, per auction data from Sotheby’s archives.
  • Munch’s choice of lithography, a technique allowing detailed reproduction, was innovative for its time and influenced modern printmaking, as noted in a 2020 analysis by the British Museum, enabling wider dissemination of his existential themes amid late 19th-century societal anxieties.
Edvard Munch’s The Scream (Woll 38 / Schiefler 32), a 1895 lithograph, is one of the most iconic graphic works in modern art and a key dissemination vehicle for the motif first realized in paintings and drawings around 1893. It translates the raw existential anguish of the Frieze of Life into a reproducible yet highly expressive medium, capturing universal themes of anxiety, isolation, and the “great scream through nature.”
Composition and Iconography
  • Central Figure: A gender-ambiguous, skull-like figure on a bridge or path, hands clasped to its head, mouth agape in a silent scream. The body is simplified and undulating, echoing the swirling landscape.
  • Background: Turbulent, blood-red/orange sky with wavy, rhythmic lines (often interpreted as sound waves or inner turmoil); a fjord or bay; two distant figures (sometimes interpreted as friends from whom the screamer is alienated); railings or a path leading into the scene.
  • Symbolism: Personal (Munch’s anxiety attack on a walk near Oslo, possibly influenced by family illness, a nearby asylum, or atmospheric phenomena) yet universal—modern alienation, depersonalization, and nature’s overwhelming force. The German title Geschrei or inscribed text Ich fühlte das grosse Geschrei durch die Natur (“I felt the great scream through nature”) appears on many impressions.
Dimensions (typical): Image/motif ~35–35.5 × 25–25.4 cm; sheets vary (often ~43–52 × 32–40 cm).
Technique: Lithography
Munch drew directly on the stone with lithographic crayon (for textured lines) and tusche (liquid ink for washes and solids) in Berlin, collaborating with printer A. Liebmann. This allowed fluid, painterly effects with strong contrasts and atmospheric depth. Many impressions were hand-colored by Munch in watercolor (reds, oranges, blues, greens) for uniqueness. The stone was later resurfaced (erased) by the printer in Munch’s absence, limiting production.
Chronology and Variants
  • 1895: Primary creation and printing in Berlin. Munch produced impressions with variations in inking, paper (wove, etc.), and hand-coloring. Some include the full inscribed text; others just Geschrei.
  • States/Variants: Woll catalogues it with sub-variants (e.g., Woll 38B for certain hand-colored impressions). Differences arise from inking density, color application, paper type, and trimming. No major compositional reworking like in Madonna (Woll 39), but each pull has unique qualities due to handwork.
  • Total Impressions: Approximately 30–45 known (estimates vary slightly by source). Far rarer than many of Munch’s other prints. The Munch Museum holds at least six, including hand-colored examples.
Rarity and Desirability
  • Rarity: Extremely scarce due to the limited run and stone destruction. Fresh, signed, hand-colored, or text-inscribed impressions with wide margins are museum-quality rarities. Many reside in institutions (Munch Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, MoMA, etc.).
  • Market: High demand drives strong prices. Notable auctions include a signed, richly inked impression sold for over $2.4 million (Christie’s); others in the £800K–£1.2M+ range (Sotheby’s estimates/results). Hand-colored examples with provenance command premiums. Condition (strong contrasts, vibrant colors, no foxing) is critical.
Significance and Legacy
Woll 38 helped transform The Scream from a personal catharsis into a global icon of Expressionism and modern angst. It influenced countless artists, pop culture (e.g., emojis, films, parodies), and printmaking by demonstrating lithography’s potential for emotional intensity. Unlike the paintings (two tempera versions in Oslo museums; the 1895 pastel sold for ~$119.9M in 2012), the prints made the motif accessible while retaining uniqueness through hand-coloring.
​This lithograph exemplifies Munch’s graphic innovation—treating prints as creative equals to paintings, with endless variation. For precise identification of states or impressions, consult Gerd Woll’s Edvard Munch: The Complete Graphic Works. The motif’s power endures as a mirror of human vulnerability.

Special Report
Lithography

Edvard Munch (1863–1944) embraced lithography enthusiastically in the mid-1890s, drawn to its reproductive potential, direct drawing qualities, and capacity for large editions—qualities that aligned with his goal of disseminating motifs from The Frieze of Life series. He began experimenting with it around 1894–1895 in Berlin, shortly after taking up drypoint and etching, and continued using it (often in combination with other techniques) for decades, though he later favored woodcut for its lighter materials and expressive grain.
Core Lithographic Process Used by Munch
Traditional lithography relies on the principle that oil and water do not mix:
  • Stone preparation: Munch used heavy Bavarian/Solnhofen limestone slabs (often large and cumbersome). The stone was grained (polished with grit) to create a receptive surface.
  • Drawing the image: He drew directly on the stone with lithographic crayon (greasy, waxy) for textured lines and tusche (liquid greasy ink, applied with brush or pen) for fluid, painterly washes, solids, and tonal effects. This felt similar to drawing on paper, suiting his spontaneous, expressive style. Scraper tools could lighten or remove areas.
  • Chemical processing: The stone was treated with a gum arabic and nitric acid solution to desensitize non-image areas (making them water-attracting) while fixing the greasy image.
  • Printing: The stone was kept damp with water (which repelled ink from non-image areas), then rolled with oil-based ink. Paper was laid on top and run through a press. Multiple impressions were possible, though quality varied with inking and paper.
Munch collaborated with professional printers like M.W. Lassally in Berlin for many works (including early Madonna impressions) but also experimented hands-on, reworking stones himself.
Key Innovations and Techniques in Munch’s Lithography
Munch treated lithography as an iterative, experimental medium rather than a purely reproductive one:
  • Multiple states and reworking: He repeatedly reworked stones—adding, scraping, or altering details across states (e.g., seven states for Madonna, Woll 39). This created variants with compositional changes, such as emphasis on the spermatozoa/fetus border or hair strands.
  • Multi-stone color printing: Early works were monochromatic (often black). Later, he used additional stones or blocks for colors (e.g., red for halos, blue backgrounds, green tones). For Madonna, he progressed from black-only to adding a red stone for the halo, then blue (sometimes via cloth on woodblock), and greenish tones for the torso.
  • Combination prints: Lithography paired with woodcut (e.g., for color or texture in Vampire II), hand-coloring (watercolor, etc., especially early impressions), or other methods. This blurred lines between media and allowed unique variants.
  • Papers and inking: Impressions on varied supports—wove, Japan/tissue-thin, fibrous, colored/gray-green (which could discolor). Inking ranged from rich/dense to dry/sparse for atmospheric effects. Wide or deckled margins, trimming, and mounting (e.g., on coarser paper) added variation.
  • Transfer methods: He sometimes used transfer paper for indirect drawing onto stone, aiding portability or replication.
  • Scale and expressiveness: Tusche enabled bold, fluid areas evoking his paintings; crayon provided gritty lines. He exploited the medium’s tonal range for mood (e.g., dark, swirling backgrounds in Madonna symbolizing ecstasy and mortality).
Limitations he faced: Heavy stones were burdensome (prompting a shift toward woodcut). Professional printing was costly, so he valued self-printing options and variants over strict editions. Many impressions were signed, inscribed, or unique due to handwork.Context in Munch’s Broader Practice
Lithography bridged his painting and printmaking: motifs like Madonna, The Scream, or Anxiety moved fluidly between oils and graphics, with prints allowing experimentation (e.g., color variants enhancing symbolic borders). He produced hundreds of lithographic subjects amid ~750 print motifs overall, with Madonna exemplifying his success—hundreds of impressions across states, blending sacred/erotic themes through technical evolution.
Munch’s approach influenced Expressionists and modern printmakers by prioritizing process, variation, and emotional expressiveness over uniformity. For detailed identification, Gerd Woll’s Edvard Munch: The Complete Graphic Works remains the definitive catalogue raisonné. Technical studies (e.g., Harvard Art Museums exhibitions) continue revealing his layered, obsessive methods through surviving stones, tools, and impressions.
​His lithography exemplifies a restless innovator who used the medium’s reproducibility not for sameness, but for endless creative rebirth.

1895-1902 Madonna (Woll 39)

The two masterpieces in the imaging of Edvard Munch, The Scream and Madonna, were conceived in the same year, 1893. Anxiety and fertility express the great question of life and it is tempting to view them as a pair.

Madonna is a pretty woman whose model Dagny Juel was admired by the artist. She is nude and standing, displayed down to the hips. The head is tilted back and the closed eyes are waiting for pleasure. The red lips express pain according to the explanation provided by the artist and bring this ambiguous idol close to the Vampyr, another of the favorite themes of Munch at the same time. The sinister background marks the uncertainty of the future.

Munch designed for his first Madonna the red blood frame on which sperms are slipping and which is broken at the bottom left to display the fetus, a symbol of death since it is lethal outside a woman's body. This unique frame was not kept.

The painting is preceding the lithograph in black and white, which is the subject of various color trials by the artist for choosing the best balance for his future color lithographs.
This Madonna, whose seven states have been published between 1895 and 1902, is one of the masterpieces in the history of printing.

The first state, in 1895, reveals the meaning of the work. The woman is inserted into a frieze of spermatozoids that is broken to make way for the fetal skeleton, the most notable symbol of the complexity of being as it shows death at the point where life was expected.

The original lithograph was printed in 1895 in an image size 61 x 46 cm. The prints hand colored by the artist are probably all different. They make up for what could have been one of the most important paintings in art history but has never existed : no painting of Madonna did include the fetus. 

A signed hand colored print dated 1895 in pencil, 60 x 44 cm for the image, 70 x 52 cm for the sheet, was sold for £ 1.25M by Bonhams on July 13, 2010, lot 48.

An example in more tragic colors from the first state was sold for $ 730K by Sotheby's on November 23, 2015, lot 96.
Edvard Munch’s Madonna (also known as Loving Woman or Woman Making Love) is one of his most iconic and provocative works, blending sacred iconography with eroticism, life, death, and fertility. The lithograph (catalogued as Woll 39 / Schiefler 33) was created starting in 1895, following several painted versions (c. 1893–1897, with five known oils). It depicts a half-length nude woman in ecstasy (head tilted, eyes closed or heavy-lidded, arms raised), encircled by a swirling halo-like border of spermatozoa and a fetus-like figure in the lower left—elements drawn from a provocative painted frame Munch later discarded.
The print exists in seven main states (I–VII) according to Gerd Woll’s catalogue raisonné (Edvard Munch: The Complete Graphic Works), with significant sub-variations in technique, color, paper, and hand-coloring. Munch reworked the stone(s) multiple times between 1895 and 1902, experimenting with lithography (often with woodcut elements later) and collaborating with printers like M.W. Lassally in Berlin. Total impressions are estimated at 250–300 (higher than most Munch prints), with the Munch Museum holding about 115. Many were sold or gifted during his lifetime, making it one of his more “commercial” successes while retaining artistic experimentation.
Key Features (Common Across Variants)
  • Composition: Central female figure (approx. 55–61 x 34–44 cm image size) against a dark, swirling background; decorative border (spermatozoa framing three sides, fetus bottom-left) symbolizes conception, linking life/death and desire/fear.
  • Themes: Ecstasy of love/sex as both sacred (Madonna) and carnal; Munch’s own text describes the moment “life shakes the hand of death.”
  • Technique: Primarily lithograph (crayon/tusche on stone); later states incorporate woodcut for color blocks. Early impressions often hand-colored; later ones use multiple stones/blocks for printed color.
Chronology and Sub-Variants
Munch produced monochromatic versions first (1895), then added color (hand-applied or printed) around 1902.
  • Early States (c. 1895, primarily I–II): Black (or dark) lithograph only, on various papers (wove, Japan, etc.). Often hand-colored by Munch (watercolor, etc.) in unique ways—e.g., red/yellow/green accents, blue halo. These emphasize the raw, graphic power and border symbolism. Sub-variants include different papers, trimming, and hand-coloring intensity. Rare early hand-colored impressions (e.g., first state) are standout.
  • Intermediate States (c. 1895–1902, e.g., III–IV): Introduction of color via additional stones/woodblocks. Examples include black + red/blue/olive green; Woll IV.2 (of VII) is a noted multi-color variant on Japan paper. Printed colors enhance the halo (often red), hair, and mood. Hand-coloring still appears in some.
  • Later States (c. 1902, V–VII): More refined multi-color printing (lithograph + woodcut), with richer or varied palettes (e.g., brick red, blue, beige/black). Greater tonal variation and edition-like consistency, though still with differences in inking and paper. Sixth state noted in some auction records.
Sub-variants arise from: paper type (Japan, wove, fibrous, colored/gray-green that discolors), margins/trimming, inking quality (rich vs. dry), hand-coloring (unique per impression), and minor compositional tweaks (e.g., border emphasis). Impressions can be signed, inscribed (e.g., color notes), or stamped.
​Rarity and Desirability
  • Rarity: Early monochromatic/hand-colored states (esp. I–II, 1895) are scarcest and most prized due to uniqueness. Multi-color printed states (esp. fine IV or rich later ones) are more available but vary widely in quality. High-quality signed impressions with wide margins and strong colors are uncommon. The Munch Museum’s large holding means many exist in public collections, but fresh-to-market examples are rare.
  • Desirability: Highest for early hand-colored or pristine multi-color impressions with provenance (e.g., from Schiefler or Munch’s circle). The border-intact versions are iconic; condition (no staining, strong impression) is critical. Auction records show strong demand—e.g., a rare hand-colored first-state sold for over £1.25 million (2010); multi-color examples often fetch hundreds of thousands to over $1–2 million USD depending on state/quality.
Overall, Woll 39 stands as a technical and expressive masterpiece in Munch’s graphic oeuvre, with variants illustrating his iterative process. Early, unique impressions appeal to connoisseurs for historical primacy and hand-work; vibrant color states for visual impact. Values and appeal remain high due to the motif’s cultural resonance. For precise identification of a specific impression, consult Woll’s catalogue directly or an expert.

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​1895-1902 (Woll A/III)
​2024 SOLD for CHF 1.82M by Kornfeld

A Madonna from the A/III variant with 66 x 49 cm sheet size was sold for CHF 1.5M before fees from a lower estimate of CHF 800K by Kornfeld on September 13, 2024, lot 11.

This copy is titled Liebendes Weib by Munch, assessing that Love is a link between Life and Death in his mystic world.

​Madonna – Liebendes Weib (Woman Making Love), Woll 39
​Hammer price: CHF 1,500,000
  • Premium: 500k × 25% = CHF 125,000
    • 500k × 20% = CHF 100,000
    • 500k × 15% = CHF 75,000
      Total premium: CHF 300,000
  • VAT on premium: CHF 300,000 × 8.1% = CHF 24,300
  • Grand total: CHF 1,824,300

2
1895-1902 (Woll A/2/II)
2020 SOLD for $ 2M by Sotheby's

An intermediate undated lithographic three-color version including an olive green was sold for $ 2M by Sotheby's on October 22, 2020, lot 35.

In 1902 a three stone lithographic version is printed in black, red and blue on stiff card. It is referred by Woll as variant A.2.II., printed before the reworking of the red color stone. A full margin copy in very good condition was sold for $ 870K by Christie's on October 22, 2021, lot 86.

Also in 1902, the seventh and final state of Madonna is edited with strident red and blue and with black. A print was sold by Sotheby's for $ 590K on November 23, 2015, lot 97.

1896 Young Woman on the Beach (Woll 49)

Edvard Munch developed (or popularized) the "jigsaw" or "puzzle-block" woodcut technique around 1896–1899 as part of his shift toward woodcut, which became his most expressive and favored print medium. This innovation allowed for vibrant multi-color prints from a simplified process, exploiting the wood’s natural grain while enabling artistic experimentation with color separation, selective inking, and emotional isolation in his Frieze of Life motifs.
How the Jigsaw Technique Worked
Traditional woodcut involves carving a single block (relief printing: raised areas inked, recessed cut away). Munch’s method simplified multi-color printing without needing separate blocks for each color:
  1. Carve the design: Munch drew and carved the image into one or more wooden planks (often soft woods like pine, spruce, or plywood for easier cutting and grain effects; sometimes mahogany).
  2. Cut into puzzle pieces: Using a handsaw, fretsaw, or jigsaw, he sliced the carved block(s) into separate pieces along compositional lines (e.g., figure vs. background, land vs. sea, hair vs. body). This created interlocking or puzzle-like sections.
  3. Ink separately: Each piece could be inked with different colors, tones, or even omitted (for white paper to show through). He often used rollers, brushes, or hand-inking for varied density and effects.
  4. Reassemble and print: The pieces were fitted back together like a jigsaw puzzle on the press bed and printed in one pass. The slight gaps or white outlines between pieces often became intentional design elements, enhancing themes of separation, loneliness, or abstraction.
He sometimes started with two rectangular blocks (one for the main image, one for background), carved them, then subdivided further—yielding multiple puzzle pieces total. Selective printing (e.g., omitting a water piece) created variants.
Key advantages:
  • Easier multi-color printing than traditional methods (no precise registration of multiple full blocks needed).
  • Expressive freedom: Varied inking, wood grain visibility (for atmospheric or symbolic effects), and spontaneous variations.
  • Portability and simplicity compared to heavy lithographic stones.
Chronology and Evolution
  • Introduction (mid-1890s): After lithography and intaglio, Munch turned to woodcut ~1896 in Berlin/Paris. Early experiments built on Gauguin’s independent use of wood grain, but Munch’s puzzle approach was distinctive.
  • Peak innovation (1898–1902): Mastered for Frieze of Life motifs. Examples include The Lonely Ones (1899), Evening/Melancholy I (1896/ revisions), Woman’s Head against the Shore (1899), and The Kiss variants.
  • Later use: Continued into the 20th–1930s with more direct, less puzzle-heavy approaches for portraits and landscapes, though the technique influenced variants.
Notable Examples
  • Two Human Beings (The Lonely Ones) (1899): Land/sea cut apart; man linked to land (black), woman as separate white figure—emphasizing emotional isolation.
  • Woman’s Head against the Shore (1899): Demonstrated in Harvard Art Museums videos—blocks cut into parts for turquoise, greens, oranges; selective inking for variants.
  • Evening. Melancholy I (1896): Jigsaw sections inked differently for mood.
Influence and Legacy
Munch’s method influenced German Expressionists (e.g., Die Brücke artists like Erich Heckel, who adopted similar jigsaw approaches). It prioritized artistic process and variation over uniform editions—Munch rarely produced identical prints, favoring experimentation.
The technique aligned with his themes: raw emotion, symbolism, and the interplay of life/death, desire/isolation. Surviving blocks and impressions (e.g., at Munch Museum, Harvard, MoMA, Art Institute of Chicago) reveal his hands-on reworking.
​For visuals, demonstrations by conservators (e.g., Harvard’s Christina Taylor video) show the process step-by-step. Gerd Woll’s catalogue raisonné provides definitive documentation of states and variants. Munch’s jigsaw woodcuts remain a cornerstone of modern printmaking innovation—expressive, efficient, and deeply personal.

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​Woll 3
​2013 SOLD for £ 2.13M by Christie's

​Threatened by melancholy, Edvard Munch conceives ca 1891 one of his most personal themes, loneliness. A couple is on the beach, but they are quite distant from one another and their mental solitude is complete. This first painting is lost.

During his stay in Paris from 1890 to 1892 he had begun to take inspiration from post-impressionist styles to express his symbolism.

In 1896, he comes back to Paris where he perfects his experiences of all printmaking techniques. Aquatint gives the possibility to vary the balance of colors from one copy to another of the same image.

He reworks his Young woman on the beach by liberating her from her companion. A single person is indeed enough to express the loneliness. This allegorical image is one of his strongest messages.

The well centered lonesome figure  is standing at sea shore, turning her back to the viewer for looking at the sea as in the original picture. She is tall and straight. The marine breeze plays with her very long hair. Her golden hair and her long immaculate white dress are lit by the twilight sun while the scenery is already in the shadow. With her feet hidden under the dress, she looks like levitating out of space, time and society with no other issue than her solitude.

That 1896 dry point in 29 x 22 cm image size is printed in aquatint with burnishing in imitation of a mezzotint. 

Within a total of only twelve known impressions, Gerd Woll distinguishes no fewer than seven color combinations that offer variations comparable to Monet's post-impressionist practice.

One of them from variant Woll 3 printed in light blue, brown, gray and pink was sold on March 20, 2013 by Christie's for £ 2.13M from a lower estimate of £ 500K, lot 70. This image on a 45 x 31 cm Arches laid paper, probably the untrimmed size. It is signed in pencil.

Munch stops working in aquatint after 1897.

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Woll 5
​2023 SOLD for £ 1.62M by Sotheby's

The unique Woll 5 copy printed in golden yellow, sienna, green-blue and black on a 39 x 30 cm Arches laid paper was sold for £ 1.62M from a lower estimate of £ 1.2M by Sotheby's on March 1, 2023, lot 141. It is inscribed 3te Druck and signed by the artist in pencil.

Its pastel tones in which the surrounding details are again erased reduce the contrast but reinforce the psychic mystery of this young woman.

The tweet below was issued before it passed at Sotheby's on October 23, 2017, lot 92.

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​Woll VII
2025 SOLD for CHF 1.94M by Kornfeld

The seventh and final state of the Young Woman on the Beach is the most complex.

An example in mezzotint and dry print on Arches paper 42 x 31 cm in a striking color composition was sold for CHF 1.6M before fees by Kornfeld on September 11, 2025, lot 798. It is inscribed Zink koloriert below the signature.

​Junge Frau am Strand (Young Woman on the Beach), Woll 49
​Hammer price: CHF 1,600,000
  • Premium: 500k × 25% = CHF 125,000
    • 500k × 20% = CHF 100,000
    • 600k × 15% = CHF 90,000
      Total premium: CHF 315,000
  • VAT on premium: CHF 315,000 × 8.1% = CHF 25,515
  • Grand total: CHF 1,940,515

1897 The Kiss II (Woll 115)
​2025 SOLD for CHF 3.6M by Kornfeld

Edvard Munch was spending his summer vacation at the seaside near Christiania soon to become Oslo. Artists gather here and play the great game of life. In 1891, aged 28, Edvard watches his 21-year-old friend Jappe who becomes madly in love with a married woman ten years his senior.

The woman finally discards her lover. Such a story is not uncommon. Edvard views Jappe's despair as a mirror of his own affair with another girl a few years earlier. Eager to express extreme feelings, Edvard begins a series of paintings on the theme of Melankoli. We do not know if Edvard's creativity comforted Jappe but their friendship survived.

In 1895 and 1896 Edvard collected his most significant pictures to prepare engravings. The lines are in conformity with the paintings but the colors vary from one copy to another, certainly for the use of the artist himself who finds by such a process an easy way to master the emotional impact.

On October 23, 2017, Sotheby's sold for $ 610K a copy of Evening - Melancholy I realized in 1896, lot 95. The woodcut print 38 x 46 cm was made from two blocks. This copy in black, gray and ocher is particularly gloomy. A copy in softer tones was sold for £ 960K by Sotheby's on September 17, 2013, lot 107.

In 1902 Munch realized a new series in the same size, titled Melancholy III. The left-right composition is inverted from the 1896 version but in conformance with the original painting. A copy was sold for $ 470K on October 23, 2017, lot 84.

From another narrative, a Melancholie II 30 x 43 cm had been printed in 1898. A copy was sold for CHF 1M before fees by Kornfeld on September 11, 2025, lot 830.

​Angst (anxiety) is inspired by an oil on canvas of the same title painted in 1894 on the theme of the funeral procession.

The original edition of Angst is not a lithograph but a woodcut. The second edition is not a chromolithograph but a two-colored woodcut.

All characters are looking in the direction of the viewer with small hallucinated eyes while ignoring one another. They turn their backs from the fjord. The tormented sky which occupies all the upper half of the image makes this work a counterpart to The Scream. The artist is not mistaken : describing much later the preparatory phase of his Frieze of Life, he puts forward these two works along with Madonna and Vampyr.

After a first state, Vollard chooses Angst among the images to be published in his ambitious album of color lithographs titled Les Peintres-Graveurs. This second and final state of Angst is printed in 1896 by Clot in 100 copies 41 x 39 cm on wove paper. This lithograph is in two tones, a dismal black for the whole figurative part and a scary blood red for the sinuous lines that fill the sky.

The copy 16/100 of that second edition was sold by Sotheby's for $ 890K on May 1, 2008, lot 147.

The copy 4/100 with full margins 57 x 43 cm from the same edition was sold for $ 830K by Christie's on April 18, 2019, lot 151.

The copy 50/100 from the same edition had been sold for the same price by Sotheby's on October 27, 2016, lot 11.
Painted in 1897 by Edvard Munch, The Kiss is an element of his Frieze of Life, "the battle between men and women that is called love". A kissing couple have their faces fusing as one in a symbolic representation of the loss of individuality of man and woman, altogether ecstatic and disturbing.

In The Kiss II, printed by Munch in the same year, the background is even darker with the removal of the window. The couple is framed in the pattern of colored lines of the curtain. Its number II refers to the follow of a 1895 print of a standing couple kissing in full nudity.

​This rare monotype executed with two printing blocks was executed after Munch was back home from his stay in Paris. This woodcut 61 x 26 cm in vibrant colors on copperplate sheet 66 x 49 cm was sold for CHF 3M before fees by Kornfeld on September 11, 2025, lot 821.

Another example is kept at the Munchmuseet.

​Der Kuss II (The Kiss II), Woll 115Hammer price: CHF 3,000,000
  • Premium: 500k × 25% = CHF 125,000
    • 500k × 20% = CHF 100,000
    • 2,000k × 15% = CHF 300,000
      Total premium: CHF 525,000
  • VAT on premium: CHF 525,000 × 8.1% = CHF 42,525
  • Grand total: CHF 3,567,525
This strong result at CHF 3M hammer and similar reflect the exceptional quality, provenance (often from collections like Arnold Budczies or Eberhard W. Kornfeld), rarity of states/variants, and market appetite for top-tier Munch prints in this sale.

1897 Nächtliche Strassenszene
​2025 SOLD for CHF 1.47M by Kornfeld

While in Paris in 1896 and 1897, Edvard Munch prepared eight mezzotint pictures in the studio of Alfred Salmon, which was then run by Alfred Porcaboeuf.

The highly rare Nächtliche Strassenszene is one of them, printed in 1897. In this mezzotint and drypoint 24 x 30 cm, the crowd is centered by two standing women lit in brilliant colors, flanked by a row of four standing men with a mixed row blurred in the night in the background.

The copy 4/9 of the Woll 95/B, printed on Arches laid paper 31 x 45 cm, was sold for CHF 1.2M before fees from an estimate of CHF 600K by Kornfeld on September 11, 2025, lot 802.

The hammer price for this impression (lot 802, Auction 288 at Galerie Kornfeld, Bern, on 11 September 2025) was CHF 1,200,000, exactly double the low estimate of CHF 600,000. This is the publicly reported figure before buyer’s premium and any other fees; auction houses like Kornfeld typically add a standard premium (often 20–25% or tiered), but no post-auction results list with the exact total including premium has been detailed in available sources. The strong result reflects the print’s exceptional rarity, quality, and provenance.
Context: Munch’s Paris Mezzotints (1896–1897)
During his 1896–1897 stay in Paris, Munch immersed himself in avant-garde circles and advanced print workshops. He produced a small but groundbreaking group of eight mezzotints (plus drypoint elements) in the studio of Alfred Salmon, then managed by Alfred Porcabœuf. Mezzotint, a labor-intensive 17th-century technique revived for its velvety, painterly tonal range, suited Munch’s interest in atmospheric depth, emotional ambiguity, and light-shadow drama.
  • Process: Zinc plates were first roughened with a rocker to create a uniform burr (holding ink for deep blacks), then scraped and burnished for highlights and mid-tones. Munch hand-inked plates variably, producing unique impressions with different color accents. Impressions are typically small in number (often under 10–20 per subject) and highly individualized.
  • Significance: These works bridge his earlier intaglio experiments and later woodcut innovations. They are among his rarest prints—far scarcer than his lithographs or woodcuts—due to the demanding technique and limited production. Only a handful of complete or near-complete sets exist; individual sheets like this one are museum-level rarities.
Key Features of Nächtliche Strassenszene / Street Scene at Night (Woll 95/B)
  • Technique & Dimensions: Mezzotint with drypoint, 1897. Plate: ~23.7 × 29.9 cm; sheet: 31 × 44.7–45 cm (Arches laid paper in this copy). Signed “E Munch”, inscribed “avant lettre”, numbered “No. 4/9”.
  • Composition: A nocturnal urban crowd scene with Symbolist undertones. Two elegantly dressed women stand prominently in the foreground, brightly lit (often with hand-applied or inked color accents in dresses/hats), emerging from darkness. They are flanked by rows of men and blurred background figures, creating a sense of anonymity and emotional detachment amid the modern city. The velvety mezzotint produces soft, atmospheric transitions, with dramatic chiaroscuro evoking isolation, anxiety, and the “existential metaphor” of light in darkness.
  • Themes: Reflects Munch’s Frieze of Life concerns—urban alienation, fleeting human connections, and inner psychological states projected onto external scenes. The city is not a neutral backdrop but a mirror of modern unease, loneliness, and voyeuristic tension. The “avant lettre” status and color freshness enhance its raw, experimental quality.
This Specific Impression (4/9, Woll 95/B)
  • Condition: Particularly fresh colors, minimal studio traces, slight light-striking and reverse browning—overall very fine.
  • Provenance: From the collection of Prof. Dr. Curt Glaser (1879–1943, influential art historian and museum director), sold at Max Perl auction (Berlin, 1933, lot 1122) to Arnold Budczies (collector’s stamp verso). Exhibited in Frankfurt (1952) and Bremen (1970). The sale proceeded with agreement from Glaser’s heirs, cleared via the Lost Art Database.
  • Rarity & Desirability: One of only ~9 known impressions in this state/variant. Mezzotints by Munch are exceptionally scarce on the market; high-quality, signed, numbered examples with strong provenance and color are virtually unobtainable. This copy’s freshness, Arches paper, and historical chain amplified its appeal.
Why the High Price?
​The CHF 1.2M hammer (doubling the estimate) underscores several factors:
  • Extreme rarity of Munch mezzotints vs. his more common woodcuts/lithographs.
  • Technical mastery and painterly uniqueness of each impression.
  • Provenance from a major early collector (Glaser), with clear title.
  • Market context: Strong demand for top-tier Munch graphics in 2025, especially from curated collections like the Arnold Budczies holdings featured in the auction. Comparable rarities (e.g., other Paris mezzotints) have achieved six- to seven-figure results when fresh and provenanced.
This sale highlights Munch’s printmaking innovation: using an archaic, demanding medium to create modern psychological intensity. For full details, consult Gerd Woll’s catalogue raisonné and the Kornfeld catalogue.

​Final price calculation for the Munch Nächtliche Strassenszene (Woll 95/B, copy 4/9), hammer price CHF 1,200,000 (11 September 2025, Galerie Kornfeld, lot 802):Buyer's Premium (per Kornfeld's official terms)
  • 25% on the first CHF 500,000
  • 20% on the portion from CHF 500,001 to CHF 1,000,000
  • 15% on the amount above CHF 1,000,000
Breakdown:
  • CHF 500,000 × 25% = CHF 125,000
  • CHF 500,000 × 20% = CHF 100,000
  • CHF 200,000 × 15% = CHF 30,000
Total Buyer's Premium: CHF 255,000VAT (Swiss Value Added Tax)
  • Currently 8.1% charged only on the Buyer's Premium (standard for most lots; full VAT on hammer + premium only applies to asterisked lots).
  • CHF 255,000 × 8.1% = CHF 20,655
Total Amount Payable (including premium, before any shipping/storage/export refunds)
  • Hammer price: CHF 1,200,000
    • Buyer's premium: CHF 255,000
    • VAT on premium: CHF 20,655
  • Grand total: CHF 1,475,655
This is the amount the buyer would owe (excluding any additional costs like shipping, insurance, or potential storage fees). VAT on the premium can be refunded upon export with proper documentation.The hammer price doubled the low estimate, reflecting strong bidding for this extremely rare Paris-period mezzotint with distinguished provenance. No public post-sale report with the exact total has been published beyond the hammer, but the above follows Kornfeld’s published tiered structure exactly.
Edvard Munch produced a small but highly significant group of approximately eight mezzotint prints (with drypoint elements) during his 1896–1897 stay in Paris. These works, executed in the workshop of Alfred Salmon (then managed by Alfred Porcabœuf), represent a brief but intense exploration of intaglio techniques that bridged his earlier drypoints/etchings and his later innovations in lithography and woodcut. They are among his rarest prints, prized for their atmospheric depth, psychological intensity, and unique impressions.
Technical Foundation: Hybrid “Mezzotint-like” Aquatint on Zinc
Traditional mezzotint involves rocking a copper plate to create a uniform burr (holding ink for deep blacks), then scraping and burnishing to create highlights and mid-tones. Munch adapted this for efficiency and his expressive needs:
  • Plate Material: Zinc plates (lighter and more affordable than copper, common in 19th-century Paris workshops).
  • Ground Preparation: Plates were pre-prepared with aquatint (resin dust fused to the plate via heat, then bitten with acid to create a porous, tonal ground). This provided a textured base capable of rich, velvety blacks similar to a rocked mezzotint ground.
  • Image Creation: Munch worked subtractively “in the manner of a mezzotint.” He used scrapers and burnishers to delicately remove or polish the aquatint grain, creating modulated highlights, mid-tones, and soft transitions. This produced painterly chiaroscuro effects with seamless gradations from deep shadow to luminous areas.
  • Additional Techniques:
    • Drypoint: Added for crisp linear details, facial features, or contours (e.g., figures in crowd scenes).
    • Sandblasting (in some cases, e.g., Boys Bathing): To roughen the plate for additional texture.
    • Hand-wiping and Inking: Highly variable. Munch (or the printer) wiped plates selectively, often leaving plate tone or adding hand-applied color accents (e.g., brilliant colors on dresses or hats in nocturnal scenes). This created monotype-like uniqueness in each impression.
Result: Velvety, atmospheric blacks with subtle tonal modeling—ideal for Munch’s themes of night, isolation, anxiety, and inner psychological states. The process was labor-intensive, suiting small editions (often ~9 or fewer known impressions per subject).Workshop Context and Process
  • Studio: Alfred Salmon’s renowned etching workshop in Paris, a hub for avant-garde artists. Porcabœuf oversaw production, providing technical support while allowing Munch creative freedom.
  • Workflow: Munch drew from sketches or memory (often tied to Frieze of Life motifs). Plates were bitten, worked subtractively, and proofed iteratively. Impressions were pulled on fine papers (e.g., Arches laid). Limited production reflected the medium’s demands and Munch’s experimental focus.
  • Edition Size: Very small and variable. Many are signed, numbered (e.g., 4/9), or inscribed “avant lettre.” No large uniform editions—Munch favored individuality.
Key Characteristics and Artistic Impact
  • Atmospheric Effects: Deep, enveloping darkness with glowing highlights (e.g., lit figures in Nächtliche Strassenszene). The aquatint-mezzotint hybrid excelled at evoking urban alienation, nocturnal mystery, and emotional ambiguity.
  • Themes: Crowd scenes, solitary figures, beaches, and interiors that project inner turmoil onto external environments. Examples include Nächtliche Strassenszene (crowd with illuminated women), Young Woman on the Beach, and others like Boys Bathing.
  • Innovation: Munch treated the medium expressively rather than reproductively. Hand-coloring, variable wiping, and hybrid techniques anticipated his later combination prints. These works show Paris influences (e.g., Symbolism, avant-garde print revival) while retaining his personal intensity.
Rarity and Legacy
These Paris mezzotints are exceptionally scarce compared to his lithographs or woodcuts—only a handful of complete or near-complete sets exist. High-quality, fresh, provenanced impressions (e.g., from collections like Curt Glaser or Arnold Budczies) achieve strong auction results due to technical mastery and historical importance. Munch largely abandoned the medium after 1897, returning to more portable/direct techniques like woodcut.
​This short Paris phase highlights Munch’s restless experimentation: adapting traditional processes for modern psychological expression. For detailed state analysis, consult Gerd Woll’s Edvard Munch: The Complete Graphic Works. Technical studies (e.g., from Harvard Art Museums or Munch Museum) continue to reveal nuances in his plate work and inking.

Two Human Beings, The Lonely Ones (Woll 157)

Edvard Munch expresses in his art his own mystical and psychological or even psychiatric torments. In Paris and Berlin he painted the difficulty of communication. The Scream is his strongest message because the call does not reach any listener despite the small group away.

Melancholy and silence are among his favorite themes. The Young Woman on the Beach and Two Human Beings (the Lonely Ones) must be considered together and were probably designed simultaneously by the artist. The tall blonde woman in white dress is the same in both scenes. Watching the ocean, she turns her back to the artist, to the viewer and to life.

In the latter version a man has come from behind, dressed in dark. He bends his head without looking at the woman. These two people are in a close vicinity one another and psychologically indifferent.

​A copy in the original woodcut version Woll 157/I/1 of the Zwei Menschen - Die Einsamen, has been printed in 1899 in black and grey-blue on japan paper by Lassally in Berlin. The image 40 x 55 cm on 45 x 58 cm laid japan paper was sold for $ 1.46M by Sotheby's on October 24, 2019, lot 9. Another example on 47 x 63 cm japan paper was sold for CHF 480K before fees by Kornfeld on September 13, 2024, lot 14.

​The original oil painting is lost.

​In the autumn of 1914, Munch had the woodblocks sent to Oslo for further printing. Most of that additional work was made in 1917.

​A scene of loneliness featuring the tall blonde woman in white dress beside a young man was sold for £ 990K by Sotheby's on March 19, 2013, lot 82. It is from the state Woll I/2. It predates the additional work in the rocks in the foreground.

This copy 40 x 55 cm on a 47 x 70 cm wide margin sheet had been printed by Nielsen between 1914 and 1917 on thick wove paper from a monotype from the first state, designed in 1899, Woll I/1. This woodcut was printed in pale blue, black, green, yellow and orange, the streaks in the woman's hair strengthened in rich red and brown with monotype printing.
The ca. 1917 impressions of Woll 157 (Two Human Beings / The Lonely Ones) represent a distinct phase of Munch’s ongoing experimentation with the woodblocks.
After the initial 1899 production (primarily states I–II, often printed by M.W. Lassally in Berlin), Munch had the blocks sent to Oslo around 1914. Most additional printing and reworking occurred in 1917, often involving printer Nielsen (or Munch himself), on thicker wove papers, with heightened use of monotype techniques, selective inking, and further refinements to the jigsaw pieces.
These later pulls (states III–VIII) show greater abstraction, richer or more varied color palettes, and compositional tweaks (e.g., added details like rocks, moon pillar/reflection, or shifts in foreground/background). Total impressions across all states are roughly 100, with 1917 examples forming a significant portion of surviving high-quality color variants. They exploit the puzzle-block method more expressively: the woman’s figure often treated monotype-style (separate inking for hair/body), while shore/sea/sky pieces allow bold color contrasts and white-line separations.
Overview of States III–VIII (ca. 1917 focus)
Munch created ~8 states total (I–VIII per Woll), with sub-variants (e.g., III.1, IV.1) arising from inking, paper, and minor block alterations. Later states emphasize mood through color and abstraction rather than strict figuration. Key characteristics:
  • State III (incl. III.1, III.2, III.4 etc.): Refined multi-color impressions. Often printed in nuanced palettes (e.g., black + marine-blue/grey-blue, with ochre/red accents). Woman’s dress/hair highlighted; man integrated with dark shore. Some show added foreground rocks or strengthened hair lines. Printed on wove or Japan paper; signed examples common. Desirable for balance of detail and atmosphere. Examples sold at auction (e.g., £570K in 2006 for a signed 1917 wove paper version).
  • State IV (incl. IV.1): Increased monotype effects on the woman’s figure (e.g., vibrant hair in red/brown over base colors). Three-block jigsaw with separate inking: marine-blue/black/ochre/red combinations common. Surroundings more atmospheric; woman as a luminous “pillar.” Highly prized—e.g., a rich IV/1 sold for CHF 2.2M (2019, Kornfeld); another marine-blue variant for £1.2M (2018, Sotheby’s). Often on larger sheets with wide margins.
  • State V: More abstract treatment of beach/ocean/horizon. Monotype stencil linking the figures’ ground, emphasizing shared yet separate space. Added romantic moon and sea reflection in some. Softer hues for contemplative mood. A notable 1917 example (40 x 55 cm image) sold for £1.56M (2016, Sotheby’s). Greater emphasis on emotional isolation through simplification.
  • States VI–VIII: Further variations with progressive abstraction or tonal shifts. Later states may suppress shoreline details, heighten contrasts, or experiment with omission of pieces for white space. Colors range from bold/contrasting to subtle/ghostly. These are rarer in fresh condition and show Munch’s late-career interest in variation over uniformity. Compositional tweaks (e.g., horizon emphasis, figure separation) align with his broader Frieze of Life revisions.
Common 1917 traits: Thicker wove paper (vs. early thin Japan); stronger monotype/hand-inking on woman’s hair/dress; signed/inscribed impressions more frequent; slight block wear (e.g., cracks) sometimes visible but embraced. Dimensions ~39–40 x 55 cm image. These pulls feel more “painterly” due to inking freedom.
Rarity and Desirability
​1917 editions are among the most sought-after due to vibrant colors, provenance potential (e.g., from Munch’s Oslo studio), and technical mastery. High-quality signed examples with fresh colors and margins command six- to seven-figure prices, outperforming many early states in recent auctions. Condition is key (no discoloration, strong registration). Museums (Munch Museum, Harvard Art Museums, etc.) hold strong examples, but market supply of pristine ones remains low.These later states exemplify Munch’s philosophy: the woodcut as a living, evolving medium rather than fixed edition. They deepen the motif’s themes of longing and separation through color and abstraction. For exact identification of a specific impression, Gerd Woll’s catalogue raisonné (with detailed sub-state illustrations) is essential, supplemented by expert consultation (e.g., Munch Museum).

1
​1917 Woll IV/1
​2019 SOLD for CHF 2.64M by Kornfeld

An example in Woll's III state, signed in pencil, printed by the artist or by Nielsen in 1917, on wove paper with margins, was sold for £ 570K by Sotheby's on October 3, 2006, lot 168. Each part has been inked separately. The blocks have then been assembled like a jigsaw puzzle and then printed.

A Woll IV/1 example printed on paper 58 x 75 cm was sold for CHF 2.2M before fees from a lower estimate of CHF 1.25M by Kornfeld on June 14, 2019, lot 132.

This woodcut has been colored from a wood block sawn into three parts, the figure of the woman being colored in a monotype style.

A Woll IV printed in marine-blue, black, ochre and red, from three blocks, the woman's hair printed in the manner of monotype and strengthened with additional rich red color, was sold for £ 1.2M by Sotheby's on March 27, 2018, lot 82.

​Zwei Menschen – Die Einsamen (The Lonely Ones / Two Human Beings), Woll 157Hammer price: CHF 2,200,000
  • Premium: 500k × 25% = CHF 125,000
    • 500k × 20% = CHF 100,000
    • 1,200k × 15% = CHF 180,000
      Total premium: CHF 405,000
  • VAT on premium: CHF 405,000 × 8.1% = CHF 32,805
  • Grand total: CHF 2,637,805

​2
​1917 Woll V
​2016 SOLD for £ 1.56M by Sotheby's

Different states bring a more or less figurative vision of the beach, the ocean and the horizon. Hues become softer, expressing both the absence of conflict and the impossibility of communication in that peaceful scene.

The monotype applied through a stencil is linking the ground between the two characters, highlighting that their separate lives occur in the same place at the same time. The rest of the image is printed by three wooden blocks. The surroundings have become abstract.

On September 27, 2016, Sotheby's sold for £ 1.56M from a lower estimate of £ 400K a print 40 x 55 cm on 47 x 60 cm sheet of the Two Human beings, state V of VIII in Woll sub-classification of the W157, completed by Nielsen around 1917, lot 141.

​The romantic moon and its reflection in the sea had been addd for that state.