Why did critics consider Edvard Munch’s painting technique unfinished?

Critics in the late 19th century often perceived Edvard Munch’s painting technique as unfinished due to his innovative and unconventional approach to painting. Rather than adhering to traditional academic standards of finish, Munch utilized a style characterized by violent emotion, unconventional imagery, and a tortuous use of line that served as a vehicle for profound psychological revelation rather than mere decoration.1

This perception of his work as incomplete was part of a broader "outraged incomprehension" from contemporary critics, particularly when he exhibited his work in Berlin in 1892. His technique, which often prioritized the expression of inner vision and emotional intensity over polished, realistic detail, challenged the bourgeois aesthetic expectations of the time. While these critics found his methods offensive or lacking in refinement, this very controversy helped establish his reputation and influence on the development of Expressionism.123