Seemingly
an example of the
lustmord depicted
in art at the time,
Edvard Munch's etching
of Dead Lovers is
believed to have
been inspired by
the death of his
occasional model
and former lover
Dagny Juel, a Norwegian
writer who was known
for her succession
of affairs with
a number of prominent
artists.
Munch was shocked
and deeply affected
by news of Dagny's
murder, which may
have influenced
'Dead Lovers' although
the image does not
reflect the details
of her death.
At the time of her
murder at the age
of 34, Dagny had
been abandoned by
her husband, an
alcoholic writer
who had stolen the
wife of a colleague.
She was shot in
the head while in
the presence of
her five year old
son by a lover with
whom she was travelling
at the time. A day
after the murder,
her killer unsuccessfully
attempted to take
his own life.
