In 1954, Steinberg and Weiss published a major psychoanalytic study of Munch. They concluded, among other things, that the artist had a psychotic character structure and that his work had deteriorated following his breakdown and hospitalization in 1908. The authors contest both of these views. They argue instead that Munch suffered from a narcissistic personality disorder and that his illness led to the most cohesion his self ever obtained. The benefits accrued to his later work. This analysis details Munch's stormy and ephemeral ties to women. It traces the dynamics of these relations to an origin in early maternal failure and death. The concepts used are predominantly those of self psychology. The evidence presented clearly supports the speculation that Munch was quite disturbed. However, it is clear that his life and his art could accommodate a large diversity of interpretations. The authors make a persuasive but not conclusive case for Munch's disorder of the self.