Puberty
Created in the 1890’s when Munch was beginning to establish himself in the art world, Puberty is a representation of Munch’s sexual repression. The painting is ripe with tension. It depicts a young pubertal girl, nude, sitting with her legs together in a shy pose. It is at once a respectful representation of the girl’s awareness of her changing body, as well as an indication of repressed sexual desire. There are also theories that Munch has represented himself in the figure of the girl and that he illustrated his own undeveloped sexual desires in the form of the girl. As such, it has generated much controversy, including many conjectures about the model, the meaning of the painting, and its genesis.
