Edvard Munch's property Ekely
Photo: Væring - The Munch Museum’s photo archives

Self-portrait by the Arbour, Ekely 1942
© Munch-museet (Andersen/de Jong) (Munch-museet/Munch-Ellingsen gruppen/BONO 2008)

History

Edvard Munch bought the more than 10-acre property at Ekely, a former market garden, in 1916. In addition to hothouses where Munch grew fruit and vegetables, the property consisted of a swiss-style house from the 1870s with an orchard and several outbuildings. Over the years Munch built several small studios and workshops around the property. The need for more air and space led to the building of what is known as the Winter Studio in 1929. It was built in Art Deco style with links to modern classicism, designed by Munch's friend,

Henrik Bull, a renowned architect in his day.

This building is the only one still standing on the property today, apart from the clump of trees that constituted Munch's arbour. Edvard Munch's last home was regrettably and after a lot of hullabaloo demolished in 1960.

"Brushes, canvases and tubes of paint were scattered around on tables and chairs. On the grand piano there was a stack of letters and prints, and in the basement and in the attic were found sheets, hand presses, copper plates and stones. The whole property was one big mess……….", writes Munch's friend and mentor, Rolf Stenersen.

On his death in 1944 Edvard Munch bequeathed "the whole mess" to the Oslo local authorities - a collection consisting of 1027 paintings, 6 sculptures, 4442 drawings and watercolours and 15,000 graphic prints.

In 1991, the studios underwent extensive rehabilitation on the initiative of the Oslo Rotary Club. The buildings were at that time in a state of advanced disrepair.

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