Young Woman on the Veranda, by Edvard Munch · 1924 · Elliott Best Digitally remastered fine artwork

A woman stands with her hands tucked into the pockets of a loose, belted coat. She has turned her head toward the garden, though her eyelids are so nearly closed that it is hard to say what has caught her attention. A sweep of coral warms one cheek. Around her, the verandah is painted in the cooler colours of shade.

Munch at Ekely

In 1916, the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch bought Ekely, a property on the outskirts of Oslo. It became his home for the rest of his life. Working there gave him the chance to return to familiar surroundings and see what changed when a different person occupied them. Models, gardens, and the spaces around the house became subjects for some of his most searching late paintings. ([Munchmuseet][2])

In 1924, Munch painted both *Young Woman on the Veranda* and *Two Women on the Veranda*. In this single-figure portrait, the architecture draws us close to the sitter. The long diagonal of the rail rises from the left and comes to rest just beneath her chin. We arrive at her face almost before we realise how Munch has led us there.

Bringing the Original Vision Closer to View

For this edition, we applied the **EB Restoration Signature™** with a light touch. Working from a digital high resolution reproduction, we reduced isolated specks in the pale wall and coat. We kept the full vertical composition, including the inscription at the upper right, and retained the soft edges of the sitter’s lowered eyes.

The most visible changes are small. The folds of the coat read more clearly, particularly where the sleeve turns into the pocket, and the coral at the cheek is slightly stronger than in our source. The long, loose strokes remain visible across the fabric.

Curator’s Note

Look for the lavender. It runs along the verandah rail, then turns up again in the woman’s lapel. Once you see that shared colour, the light on her coat feels like the light of that particular place. It’s the detail I’d come back to if this portrait hung in my own home.