Munch print found at estate set for auction

A print by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch that has remained in the same family for more than 50 years is expected to sell for up to £80,000 at auction.

The work, Melancholy III, was discovered at a private estate in north Kent and was listed to be sold by Catherine Southon Auctioneers in London on 28 October.

Created in 1902, the artwork was found with its original receipt showing it was bought in Norway in 1969 for 42,000 Norwegian kroner, the equivalent to about £3,300 in recent exchange rates.

The woodcut, which was printed from a carved block, shows a person near the sea, contrasting with the apparent intimacy of a couple walking towards a rowing boat, according to the auction house.

Catherine Southon, the owner of the auction house in Chislehurst, said: "It is always exciting to discover a work of this calibre emerging from a private family collection, particularly when it has remained with the same family for more than half a century.

"What makes this discovery especially compelling is the survival of the original 1969 purchase receipt, which gives us a wonderful glimpse into the work's history and the moment it first entered the family's care."

Auctioneers described the piece as "an early impression of one of Munch's best-known themes".

Munch was known for showing emotions such as anxiety, loneliness, jealousy and despair, captured in his best-known work The Scream.

Southon said while The Scream remained his most famous expression of anguish, Melancholy III revealed a "quieter" vision, exploring themes of loneliness and unrequited love.

The scene in the artwork was set on the shoreline at Asgardstrand, a coastal town where Munch spent many of his summers.

Southon said the work, which was signed by the artist, was especially interesting because of the way it was made.

Munch used two oak blocks, with one carrying the carved design and a separate "colour block" cut into sections for the sky, sea and shore, she said.

The print has been given a sale estimate of £50,000 to £80,000.

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