Self-Portrait with a Cigarette: Kokoschka or Munch?
Two famous painters each made a work titled Self-Portrait with a Cigarette: Edvard Munch in 1895 and Oskar Kokoschka in 1935–1936. They are two different paintings, by two different artists, forty years apart.
Last updated 30 September 2026
Munch’s Self-Portrait with Cigarette (1895)
The Norwegian painter Edvard Munch painted his Self-Portrait with Cigarette in 1895. It is held by the National Museum in Oslo. It is the version most search results return when you type the title on its own, which is why the other painting is so often overlooked.
Kokoschka’s Self-Portrait with a Cigarette (1935–1936)
The Austrian expressionist Oskar Kokoschka painted his own Self-Portrait with a Cigarette between 1935 and 1936, in oil on canvas. He shows himself holding a cigarette, his gaze turned upward, against a background of green and gold brushwork.
How to tell them apart
Check the date and the signature of the artist: Munch’s painting dates from 1895, Kokoschka’s from 1935–1936. Munch was Norwegian and is associated with symbolism and the roots of expressionism; Kokoschka was Austrian and is a central figure of expressionism itself. Munch’s work influenced the generation of German and Austrian expressionists to which Kokoschka belongs, which is part of why the two titles echo each other.
The paintings
- Self-Portrait with a Cigarette (1935–1936)
- Self-Portrait with Doll (1920)
- Portrait of Konrad Adenauer (1966)
Frequently asked questions
Who painted Self-Portrait with a Cigarette, Munch or Kokoschka?
Both did, in two different paintings. Edvard Munch painted one in 1895 (National Museum, Oslo). Oskar Kokoschka painted another between 1935 and 1936.
When did Kokoschka paint his Self-Portrait with a Cigarette?
Between 1935 and 1936, in oil on canvas.
Where is Munch’s Self-Portrait with Cigarette?
At the National Museum in Oslo, Norway.
Are the two paintings related?
They share a title and a place in the history of expressionism, but they are independent works. Munch’s art influenced the expressionist generation to which Kokoschka belongs.