Catherine Southon Auctioneers & Valuers announced that a 1902 Edvard Munch woodcut, Melancholy III, will be offered at its Fine and Decorative Art Auction on 28 October 2026. The print, originally bought in 1969 for 42 000 Norwegian kroner, resurfaced after a routine valuation of a private collection in England.
The 37.8 by 47.2 cm edition is printed on thick, cream‑coloured wove paper and has survived in good overall condition. It bears the artist’s pencil signature and the original sales receipt, a rare provenance record that confirms its authenticity.
Melancholy III is an early version of Munch’s 1902 woodcut, predating the final printed edition catalogued by Gerd Woll. The image depicts Jappe Nilssen, a friend of Munch who suffered unrequited love, rendered against a shoreline of Åsgårdstrand, the coastal resort that inspired much of the artist’s Symbolist work.
The auction will run at 10:00 BST in Chislehurst, with bidding available in person, by telephone, or online. Listed as Lot 160, the print carries an estimated price of £50,000 to £80,000, plus a standard buyer’s premium of 27.6% inclusive of VAT.
Art historians note that the fragmentary foreground and unfinished background make this edition particularly valuable, as each print in the edition is unique due to Munch’s hand‑applied color technique. The sale could establish a new record for a private‑collection Munch and attract collectors worldwide.
The auction house plans public viewings of the framed print and its original receipt in the days leading up to the sale, offering a final chance for bidders to assess the piece’s condition and provenance before the bidding opens.
With the auction slated for 28 October, the art world will watch closely to see whether the print commands a price at the upper end of its estimate, potentially revitalizing interest in Munch’s early printmaking career.