Ivo de Figueiredo

The Storm - A Biography of Edvard Munch. Book 1

Stormen - En biografi om Edvard Munch. Bok 1

Edvard Munch is not only celebrated as Norway’s preeminent artist, but he also stands as a singular figure who has etched a permanent mark on global culture. The Storm chronicles the life of this prodigious artist who, after rattling Kristiania with his revolutionary artworks, made a dynamic entrance onto the European stage, emerging as a formidable force from the north. From the iconic ‘The Scream’ to captivating pieces like ‘Madonna’ and ‘Vampire’, Munch did more than merely depict scenes; he rendered raw emotions on canvas. His life and oeuvre navigated through an era marked by monumental shifts in both global events and the artistic domain. To understand Munch’s journey is to journey through the tumultuous backdrop of his contemporary Europe.

‘Ivo de Figueiredo’s new Munch biography is an event (…). I only put the manuscript down when I had to. (…) With flow, pace, and a sense of anecdotes, the biographer follows the chronically restless, increasingly alcoholic artist from city to city, from environment to environment, from room to room, from painting to painting. (…) As soon as I finished ‘The Storm’ I started looking forward to the next volume.’

Klassekampen

‘Outstanding about Munch! The Storm is the first volume in what will almost certainly become the definitive work on Edvard Munch for a long time to come.’

VG

‘Grand Munch Biography. Every generation needs its Munch biography. This one will endure far into the next generation.’

Adresseavisen
Photo: Agnete Brun

Author, historian, and critic Ivo de Figueiredo (b. 1966) is the most celebrated biographer in Norway with a bibliography containing several award-winning titles. In 2006/2007 he published a biography Henrik Ibsen. The Man and the Mask. This biography is today considered the most complete, well written and well researched biography on Ibsen.
Later came non-fiction titles for YA readers, the true crime title The Mystery of Ingeborg Køber, and the story of his own family A Stranger at My Table, of which one critic wrote: ‘With A Stranger at My Table  Ivo de Figueiredo expands the understanding of what non-fiction can be […] One of the most significant Norwegian author of our time.’

In the fall of 2023, Ivo de Figueiredo released the first volume of his new biography The Storm: A Biography of Edvard Munch to rave reviews. The second volume will be published in the fall of 2024.