"The Frieze and the history of the Freia chocolate factory offer a unique lens to examine the intersections of art, industry, and gender in interwar Norway. Munch pursued alternative, moveable, and non-monumental forms. The Freia commission exemplifies this and challenged the boundaries between public and private art."
"By the standards of the early 20th century, Holst was a relatively enlightened industrialist, providing the factory with a doctor, emphasizing worker hygiene, and instituting a 48-hour work week. As the paintings show, Holst's concerns extended to aesthetics with a contemporary art critic noting that seeing as only the best was good enough for his workers, there was little choice but to commission the nation's greatest painter."
Edvard Munch's 12 paintings, originally commissioned for a women's canteen in a chocolate factory, are being moved to the Munch Museum for an exhibition. These works have suffered damage from nicotine and chocolate dust over the years. The exhibition will also feature preparatory sketches and explore Munch's contributions during a transformative period in Norway. The curator emphasizes the significance of the Freia commission in understanding the relationship between art, industry, and gender roles in interwar Norway.
Read at Artnet News
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