Painted in 1901, Summer Night at Åsgårdstrand reveals a side of Edvard Munch far removed from the anguish of The Scream. Beneath a lavender sky, figures gather in quiet communion along a village road washed in Nordic light. The brushwork pulses with life — vivid pinks, golden hues, and trembling contours that render the landscape itself as a living organism. This was Munch’s moment of equilibrium: the rare, luminous interlude when solitude and serenity replaced turmoil.
This masterpiece, a cornerstone of The Leonard A. Lauder Collection, stands as a testament to the painter’s capacity for renewal. Having endured personal upheaval and creative struggle, Munch found in Åsgårdstrand a world alive with color and breath. Offered at Sotheby’s New York on 18 November, this radiant vision anchors a sale that brings together modern icons from Klimt to Picasso — a once-in-a-generation collection celebrating the eye and spirit of one of America’s greatest patrons.
