Christmas in the Brothel

Edvard Munch, Christmas in the Brothel, 1905. Oil on canvas. Munch Skybar and Restaurant.

The thought of Christmas often evokes purity and wholesomeness. Upon first glance, the same can be said of Edvard Munch’s oil painting Christmas in the Brothel. A group of girls read and decorate a Christmas tree, but in classic Munch style, there is a more mature and layered context to be discovered.

Christmas in the Brothel was painted at a time of emotional difficultly for Munch. A large commission had fallen through and his career felt stagnant. The painting illustrates his proximity to the French art movement Fauvism. Furthermore, it foreshadows and underscores his existing and future interest in prostitution as subject matter for his artwork. His later series, The Green Room, focusses heavily on prostitution.

This painting is ironic by nature. While some may see it as a futile act of purity by the women in the brothel, I still see a good deal of virtuosity.