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The next instalment of our Research Postcards series features Art History Professor Allison Morehead, who is currently at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Prof. Morehead illuminates the work she is doing in the context of her Munch and Medicine project, and the intersection of Edvard Munch and the history of women's fight for reproductive rights:

Prof. Allison Morehead: "This spring and early summer, I am in Washington, D.C. as the Ailsa Mellon Bruce Visiting Senior Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery of Art. I am here in the context of my Munch and Medicine project to study the Epstein Family Collection of Munch's works, put together by Sarah ("Sally") G. Epstein and her first husband Lionel C. Epstein. This major collection of Munch prints stems from Sally Epstein's early encounter with Munch's works, after which he became, in her words, her 'artist for life.'

"I am exploring this passion for Munch in relation to Sally Epstein's lifelong involvement in birth control movements and commitments to Planned Parenthood. Munch's works such as Madonna, which includes spermatozoa and a worried-looking fetus in its decorative border, often thematize the ecstasies and tragedies of sex and reproduction. As the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, I am reminded of the relevance of research exploring the long and complex histories of birth control, abortion rights, feminism, and reproductive justice."

Looking for more? Our Research Postcards series connects with Prof. Gauvin Bailey in Aix-en-Provence.