This important publication accompanies a major exhibition at The Courtauld Gallery, London, of paintings by Edvard Munch, one of the world's greatest modern artists. The exhibition and catalogue showcase 18 major works from the collection of KODE Art Museums in Bergen. The works span the most significant part of Munch's artistic development and have never before been shown as a group outside of Scandinavia. KODE houses one of the most important collections of paintings by Edvard Munch (1863-1944) in the world. The collection was assembled at the beginning of the 20th century by the Norwegian industrialist, mill owner and philanthropist Rasmus Meyer (1858-1916), who was one of the first significant early collectors of Munch's work. Meyer knew Munch personally and was astute in acquiring major canvases by the artist that chart his artistic development. Edvard Munch: Masterpieces from Bergen explores this group of remarkable works in detail and considers the important role of Rasmus Meyer as a collector. The exhibition and publication include seminal paintings from Munch's early 'realist' phase of the 1880s, such as Morning (1884), which was made when the artist was just twenty years old, and Summer Night (1889), a pivotal work that shows the artist's move towards the expressive and psychologically charged work for which he became famous. These paintings launched Munch's career and set the stage for his renowned, highly expressive paintings of the 1890s when his compositions became powerful projections of his emotions and imaginative states. Such works are a major feature of the exhibition that includes remarkable canvases from Munch's famous 'Frieze of Life' series, such as Evening on Karl Johan (1892), Melancholy (1894-96) and At the Death Bed (1895). Through his 'Frieze of Life' works, Munch intended to address profound themes of human existence, from love to death. The artist used his own experiences as source material to make visceral depictions of the human psyche, which he hoped would help others understand their own life. Munch's powerful use of colour and form to convey his subjects marked him out as one of the most radical painters at the turn of the 20th century. This fully illustrated publication includes a catalogue of the works, with contributions by leading experts in their fi eld from KODE and The Courtauld.

There are some collectors who through foresight and dedication have built truly outstanding art collections and shared them widely as part of public museums. Among these were Samuel Courtauld in London and Rasmus Meyer in Bergen. At the heart of each man's collection were single artists who were their greatest passions: for Courtauld it was Paul Cezanne and for Meyer, Edvard Munch. This unique collaboration between KODE art museums in Bergen and The Courtauld in London, celebrates these two remarkable collectors and two great artists by showing masterpieces by Cezanne in Bergen and Munch in London. The Courtauld is home to some of the most important paintings by Cezanne, such as The Card Players and Montagne Sainte-Victoire. "Cezanne. Masterpieces from The Courtauld at KODE Art Museum" is the story about how collectors and artists became aware of Cezanne. This publication not only presents ten key works from The Courtauld along with Cezannes from Norwegian collections, it also brings them together with eye witness accounts from the early years of his profound influence, seen through the lens of the Norwegian art scene around 1900. With essays by Barnaby Wright, Oystein Sjastad and Karen Serres and an introduction by Line Daatland. Forewords by Petter Snare and Ernst Vegelin van Claerbergen.