Munch had a troubled familial past. In addition to his overbearing pietist father, his mother died of tuberculosis when he was a small child, and his sister died nine years later of the same disease. This painting is an image of Munch’s older and favorite sister Sophie lying in bed, dying of tuberculosis when she was 15 years old. Munch created many reproductions of this painting, including one that was held in Dresden, Germany. In the 1930’s and 40’s Nazi’s deemed Munch’s art as “degenerate art” and removed all of them from Germany to be sold at auction. This piece was bought and later donated to the Tate Gallery in London, where it remains today.