Edvard Munch: The Day After (1894)

An Edvard Munch art print portraying a woman asleep across an unmade bed after a night of drinking. Created in 1894, The Day After is a direct and psychologically charged interior in which empty bottles, abandoned glasses and the woman’s exhausted pose allow the viewer to imagine the preceding events.

Printed locally, as close to you as possible, on heavyweight matte paper. Typical delivery time: 2–5 business days.

• Norwegian painting by Edvard Munch
• Created in Berlin in 1894
• Expressive interior with a reclining woman
• The only known surviving painted version
• Printed on 200 gsm matte quality paper
• Available in five sizes
• Frame not included

The morning after

A woman lies diagonally across the bed with her eyes closed, her blouse open and her dark hair falling over the pillow. One arm hangs heavily towards the floor. Empty bottles and glasses stand on the table beside her.

The painting never explains exactly what has happened. Its title and the objects in the foreground suggest a long night, while the woman’s pose conveys complete exhaustion.

An intimate and controversial interior

The viewpoint brings the viewer close to a private scene. The bed, table and woman’s body are compressed into a shallow space dominated by brown, white, muted blue and deep red.

When the painting was new, its subject was regarded as provocative. It presented modern urban life without an uplifting story or an idealised heroine. The scene was associated with the bohemian world in which Munch moved during the 1880s and 1890s.

“Might she be sleeping off a hangover?”

The only surviving painted version

Munch painted three versions of The Day After. The first, created between 1886 and 1889, was destroyed in a fire in 1890. A second version is also lost and is known from a photograph taken at a Munch exhibition in Berlin.

The version from 1894 is the last of the three and the only painted version known to survive. A photograph from Munch’s Berlin studio shows the composition while it was still unfinished and before the bottles and glasses were added.

Realism, symbolism and modern life

The subject and direct presentation connect the painting with the social realism of the 1880s. Its atmosphere and psychological ambiguity also place it within Munch’s exploration of sexuality, vulnerability and modern relationships during the 1890s.

Munch painted The Day After, Puberty and Madonna in 1894. The works are often discussed together because of their different and sometimes conflicting portrayals of women.

About Edvard Munch

Edvard Munch was born at Løten in 1863 and grew up in Christiania, now Oslo. His paintings and prints explored anxiety, desire, loneliness, illness and the emotional intensity of human relationships.

His radical use of colour, simplified forms and psychological subjects made him an important influence on twentieth-century expressionism. Munch died in Oslo in 1944.

Artwork details

Available sizes

A powerful Munch print for the home

The earthy colours, sweeping diagonal figure and intimate subject give the poster a strong presence. It works particularly well in a living room, bedroom, study or interior with vintage furniture and darker natural materials.

Explore more works in our collection of Norwegian art, or pair it with Munch’s The Girls on the Bridge.

Frequently asked questions

What does The Day After depict?

The painting shows a woman sleeping across a bed beside empty bottles and glasses. The scene suggests the aftermath of a night of drinking.

When did Munch paint the work?

The surviving version was painted in Berlin in 1894.

Did Munch create other versions?

Yes. He painted three versions. The two earlier paintings were lost, making the 1894 work the only known surviving painted version.

Where is the original painting?

The original belongs to the National Museum of Norway and has inventory number NG.M.00808.

What paper is used?

The poster is printed on heavyweight 200 gsm matte paper with a smooth, non-reflective surface. The paper is FSC-certified or uses equivalent certified materials, depending on the production location.

Is a frame included?

No. The frame is not included.