Edvard Munch (1863-1944) | The Vampire

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From an early age on, Munch grappled with poor health, intense emotions, depression and suicidal tendencies, though he did eventually undergo therapy, stopped drinking and lived to see his eightieth birthday.

Munch’s 1895 The Vampire — alternately titled Love and Pain — focuses on the concept of the female as a blood-sucking entity. A woman leans over a man who seems helpless and passive, her mouth perhaps ready to bite into the back of his neck. Her red hair is long and loose and looks like blood dripping over them both, this being the only vibrant color in an otherwise dark and claustrophobic scene. And though there are no visible fangs or traditional vampire gore, the then-tormented Munch definitely gave the impression that love can sometimes turn into a private horror show.