Analysis of the influence of Antonin Artaud (especially by Edvard Munch) and the impact of these artistic influences in setting up his style: Biographical correspondence and intertextuality: Artaud – Munch

Abstract

Edvard Munch (Løten, 1863 - E Kelly, 1944), Antonin Artaud (Marseille 1896 - Paris 1948): two artists affected by physical and mental health issues. A relationship is established between them: each one, in a special way, invites the viewer to revise his/her understanding of death, melancholy and forces of nature. Sometimes this relationship is conveyed in the personal writings of Artaud, as well as in the similarities between his artworks and Munch’s ones, revealing the influence of this one upen the later. Later, Artaud’s interest in painting will become more clear. Artaud himself, besides being a poet, a playwright and an actor, will demonstrate, in his writings, an appreciation for the art of El Greco, Bosch, Lucas de Leyde, Bruegel and Goya. Our comparative study aims to analyze the process of intertextuality accompanying the work of Artaud throughout his life, which starts in his youth, when he observes and translates other media into his own art. This paper studies the biographical and artistic equivalence between both artists. Our work presents contributions to literary criticism of Antonin Artaud. Despite the existence of other studies relating Artaud’s proximity to painting, and Edward Munch’s ones, our view is an original approach, which has not been yet explored.