How did the Frieze of Life series grow between 1893 and 1902?

The Frieze of Life series by Edvard Munch expanded significantly during this period as he refined his exploration of universal human experiences, including love, despair, and death.

The series began with an original nucleus of six paintings exhibited in 1893. By 1902, when the collection was first formally exhibited under the title Frieze of Life at the Berlin Secession, the series had grown to include 22 works.1

Munch treated the series as a fluid project, frequently rearranging the paintings. To maintain the integrity of the sequence, he often created new versions or prints of specific works if an original piece was sold. Through this process, he developed an implicit narrative structure that follows the progression of love—from its initial awakening and blossoming to its eventual withering—culminating in themes of despair and death.1