Girls on a Pier - Analysis - Edvard Munch

Why is Girls on a Pier my favorite Edvard Munch painting? It's that wistful pink bridge and how it blends into the road to nowhere. Many choose The Scream for its iconic emotional power and pull. I respect that. But I'm drawn more to the subtlety of this piece. The resonant dread of Munch still permeates this painting. But there's a delicacy and poignance as well. At its core, this piece portrays the significance of time and longing in human life.

Three Girls on a Pier stand so close together, they seem to be one. The farthest away seems like only a sliver of pink cloth and pinkish hair. She blends into the jetty a bit. Viewers can't see her face or even her figure. She's lost to us, like the past. Next to her, the middle girl also has her back to us. We see a bit more about her because she wears a hat and bright red dress. She's fancy and dressed up - as if she's going somewhere. This girl represents the future.

Both the hatted and pink sliver girl look out over the water. They keep us at a distance by facing away and focusing elsewhere. It's the town across the bay that calls to them - adulthood. These two girls can't wait to be women. They long for it. But the girl facing us has a different outlook. We still don't see her face. Munch obscured her features to match the sky's moon. Viewers can't know her anymore than we can know the night's most mysterious orb.

This keeps her innocent. She's of the moment, living in the present, and youth all wrapped into a girl. I love the way she leans and tilts her head the slightest bit. It reminds me of a puppy seeking a treat. Of course, it's quite subtle. But this sweet moment feels like a miracle here. That's because it's a Munch painting. He balances his brooding dread a bit with this young lady. Viewers don't know her face. But we know her hope.

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