Best known as the artist behind one of the most iconic and recognised images in the world, The Scream (1893), Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (1863-1944) is a key figure in the development of painting in the twentieth century. The themes of desolation and despair behind his best-known works such as The Sick Child (1886), Vampire (1893-4) and Ashes (1894) resonated with those living in a new modernity, and acted as an influential precursor to the Expressionist movement in Europe. This accessible survey studies Munch's life and work, from his tragic childhood where he experienced the deaths of his mother and sister at a young age; to his travels in Europe during the emergence of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism; to his circle of friends including Henrik Ibsen; and his prolific body of work including etchings, woodcuts, lithographs and set designs. Including 60 full colour illustrations, this lucid and informative introduction is an indispensible guide to one of the most intriguing and dramatic figures in twentieth century art.