“The Scream”
“The Scream” is arguably Edvard Munch‘s most well-known piece of art, and one of the most well-known pieces in the history of art. This oil tempera, pastel, and crayon on cardboard piece dates to 1893. This is just one of four versions that Munch created between 1893 and 1910. Two of the versions are pastel pieces and the other two are paintings.
Originally titled “The Scream of Nature,” it depicts a man who looks almost skeletal, standing on a bridge with both hands to his face, screaming. Two figures look on in the background. The simplified forms, color, and perspective are all very typical of Munch’s style.
Munch wrote in his diary his inspiration for this piece. It reads, “I was walking down the road with two friends when the sun set; suddenly, the sky turned as red as blood. I stopped and leaned against the fence, feeling unspeakably tired. Tongues of fire and blood stretched over the bluish black fjord. My friends went on walking, while I lagged behind, shivering with fear. Then I heard the enormous, infinite scream of nature.”
What Munch saw may have been the result of the eruption of a volcano in May 1883 on the island of Krakatoa in modern day Indonesia. The explosion was massive, and the results were felt worldwide. The fantastic red sunsets seen by Munch with his friends were likely caused by dispersal of gases into the atmosphere. Similar effects were reported as far as the United States, quite from its origination.
This piece resonates with people and is interpreted as representing the universal anguish of modern humans. Today, it is an icon. It is not just recognized by art enthusiasts, but by the general public. In 1994, this version of “The Scream” was actually stolen from the National Gallery in Oslo, Norway. It was fortunately recovered soon after.
Soon after its public exhibition, an art critic noticed the following graffiti written in pencil on the upper left-hand corner of the painting, “Can only have been painted by a madman”. This was long thought to have been an act of vandalism by someone from the public. However, in 2021, new research showed that the inscription was written by Edvard Munch himself.
“The Scream” is currently on display at the National Gallery in Oslo, Norway.
For more on Edvard Munch, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
