Omega Weeping
1908/09
Medium
Lithograph on paper
Dimensions
Image: 27 × 18.7 cm (10 11/16 × 7 3/8 in.); Sheet: 65.1 × 48.1 cm (25 11/16 × 18 15/16 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
93419
Art Historical Context
Edvard Munch's *Omega Weeping* (1908/09), a poignant lithograph on paper held in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, captures the Norwegian artist's signature exploration of existential anguish. Measuring a modest image size of 27 × 18.7 cm on a larger 65.1 × 48.1 cm sheet, this print distills Munch's Expressionist vision into stark black-and-white contrasts, evoking profound emotional depth. Created during Munch's mature period, following his recovery from a nervous breakdown, it reflects themes of sorrow and finality—symbolized by the Greek letter "Omega," denoting...
About the Artist
Edvard Munch · 1863–1944
Edvard Munch (1863-1944) was a Norwegian painter and printmaker whose intensely psychological works made him a pioneer of Expressionism and one of the most influential artists of the modern era. His 1893 masterpiece 'The Scream' has become an iconic symbol of existential anxiety. Munch's art was profoundly shaped by personal tragedy—his mother died when he was five, his beloved sister Sophie at fo...