Edvard Munch: By the Death Bed

Discussion Questions

• What is the first thing you notice about this painting?

• Which of the figures in the painting do you connect with the most? Who do you feel the most disconnected from? 

• How does this image along with “Last Portrait of Mother” and "Camille Monet on her deathbed” relate to your own experiences with death, personally or professionally? 

Reflections from #MedHumChat

“My eyes move right to left - first drawn to the hollow-eyed figure on the far right, next to the red-masked figure, and down the line, finally resting on the figure in the bed/casket”—@whole_patients

“The focus is on the mourners, rather than the deceased. I like the illustration of death as an event that causes ripples and impacts other living beings.”—@allison_tandem

“Most drawn to the gaunt women in the forefront. Reminds me of a caregiver whose needs and distress are often ignored”—@DevikaDasMD

“It's so fascinating how grief looks different to all of us - we are having such varied reactions to the figures in this painting”—@KamnaBalharaMD

About this #MedHumChat

“By the Death Bed” was paired with "Camille Monet on her deathbed” by Claude Monet and “Last Portrait of Mother” by Daphne Todd for a #MedHumChat discussion December 18, 2019 exploring Looking upon Death: Art at the Deathbed.

We were honored to be joined by special guest Dr. Margaret Chisolm (@whole_patients), Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at John Hopkins Medicine, who has a special interest in the role of art in medical education.

The pieces for this chat, along with the discussion questions, were selected by Kamna Balhara MD (@KamnaBalharaMD).

About the Artist

Edvard Munch (1863-1944) was a modernist expressionalist artist whose childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement following the loss of his mother and sister, and the dread of inheriting a mental illness that ran in his family.