Reflections upon man sitting at a coffee table by Edvard Munch

Edvard Munch was a famous Norwegian painter. Born 1863 and died 1944. He became famous for exploring human emotions and psychological themes which became a foundation for late 19th-century Symbolism in art and one of the main influences of German Expressionism in the early 20th century.

At The Coffee Table - 1883. This is one of the great works of the artistic genre Impressionism. it is an oil on canvas and can be viewed at the Munch Museum, Oslo, Norway.

For most coffee drinking can be a very personal experience and evocative. The painting by Edvard Munch depicts an old man and middle age woman seated at the cafe close to each other but almost oblivious of each other as each subject seems engaged in a deeply personal experience of reflection of their drink. The subjects lend a quiet dignity over the act of drinking quite in contrast to the rowdy and boisterous images one tends to see in 18th century images of coffee houses. The blues and greys lend to the solemnity of the entire affair balanced by the glowing red of the coffee table that seems to lift the spirit as the subjects gaze in pensive meditation of their cups of coffee.

Reflections upon art and coffee - Pieter Bergli, coffee enthusiast and narrator.