The book “My Castles” (Norwegian text only), is a travel guide to all the places Edvard Munch lived and loved. It was released in 2018, contains 124 pages and is illustrated throughout.
Edvard Munch often referred to his various residences as “castles” or “châteaux”, and with his own words as a backdrop for several of his paintings. The Munch Museum has issued a comprehensive overview of his many “castles” and haunts in Norway.
“I feel very well in my “chateau” when I otherwise feel at ease”, wrote Edvard Munch in a letter from 1899. “I sit in the garden or lie in a hammock, and I always have an unpainted canvas conveniently near me”, he continued.
In this book you are taken to all the places Munch lived or nurtured a close relationship with – Oslo, Løten, Fredrikstad, Vågå, Åsgårdstrand, Kragerø, Jeløy and Ramme. Munch’s mother’s family came from Fredrikstad, and his father’s family came from Vågå.
Edvard Munch was born on the farm Engelaug Østre in Løten on 12 December 1863. At birth he was so weak that a priest was sent so that he could be baptized urgently. Before he was one year old, the family moved to Kristiania (now Oslo), but the artist visited Løten repeatedly during his life. The Munch Center in Løten is located at the Klevfos Industrial Museum at Ådalsbruk.
Edvard drew inspiration for several central motifs from Åsgårdstrand and Kragerø, and lived for periods on Jeløy, in Moss and at Ramme gård in Hvitsten.
The book provides an overview of the places where Munch stayed a lot and felt connected to. He constantly returned to his roots in Løten, Fredrikstad and Vågå, and he established new ties to Åsgårdstrand, Kragerø, Jeløy, Hvitsten and Ekely in Oslo.
Through text and pictures, this book tells about the time he spent at his many haunts, while also showing how some of his most famous motifs are connected to the various places.
“Mine slot” is richly illustrated with Munch’s own artworks and sketches, photographs and photographic self-portraits. In addition, it contains information about viewpoints and experiences connected to each of Munch’s places, illustrated with new and historical photographs.
When Munch bought the old Swiss villa at Ekely in Oslo in 1916, he mestablished himself permanently in the capital for the first time. He lived there until his death. It was his last chateaux.
A book on Edvard Munch in English I highly recommend is MUNCH Through New Eyes by Haakon Mehren, published by Orfeus Publishing
A Travel Guide to All the Places Edvard Munch Lived and Loved, written by Tor Kjolberg
Feature image (on top): From Holmestrand