The Girls on the Bridge

The Girls on the Bridge (1901) by Edvard Munch is a striking example of his Expressionist style, capturing the luminous atmosphere of the Nordic summer nights that so deeply inspired him. Measuring 136 cm × 125 cm and housed in the National Museum of Oslo, the painting blends figures and landscape into a symbolically unified composition. Nature, as in much of Munch’s work, plays a vital role—not merely as a backdrop, but as an emotional and symbolic force.

The composition depicts three girls standing on a bridge, their backs turned toward the viewer. Leaning on the railing, they gaze into the water below. The girls’ brightly colored dresses contrast vividly against the softer tones of the landscape—pale pinks, light blues, and deep muted greens—creating a decorative yet emotionally resonant effect. The surrounding scenery evokes Åsgårdstrand, the coastal village by the Kristiania Fjord where Munch spent many summers and drew much of his inspiration. In the distance, the stately Kiøsterudgården manor appears alongside a towering dark-green tree. A low-hanging full moon glows just above the horizon, its pale light adding to the painting’s quiet intensity.

Munch uses compositional techniques recognizable from works such as Rue Lafayette (1891) and The Scream (1893). The strong diagonal of the bridge railing and the winding road draw the viewer’s eye deep into the scene. Munch frequently reinterpreted visual elements from earlier works, placing them in new contexts to explore shifting moods and meanings.

When first exhibited in Kristiania in 1901, the painting was titled Sommeraften (Summer Evening). It appeared the following year at the Berlin Secession under the title Norwegische Sommernacht (Norwegian Summer Night). While its monumental scale and simplified forms echo The Dance of Life (1899–1900), the subject here is more restrained—focusing on childhood rather than love, with fewer narrative or symbolic gestures.

By 1898, Munch had purchased a small home in Åsgårdstrand, forging close ties with the community. Many locals served as models for his works, including The Girls on the Bridge. He later remarked, “Walking here is like walking among my paintings. I have such a desire to paint when I am walking in Åsgårdstrand.” The version in the National Museum is the earliest of several variations he produced of this iconic motif.