The Scream

The Scream
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Artist	Edvard Munch
Year	1893
Medium	Oil, tempera, pastel and crayon on cardboard
Dimensions	91 cm × 73.5 cm (36 in × 28.9 in)
Museum	National Gallery, Oslo
City	Oslo

The Scream. It is a seminal composition by the Norwegian Expressionist artist Edvard Munch, created in 1893. The image depicts an agonized figure against a landscape with a tumultuous orange sky, and has become one of the most iconic representations of human anxiety in modern art. Part of Munch's series The Frieze of Life, it explores themes of love, anxiety, and existential dread.

Background and creation

The work originated from a personal experience of the artist, as recorded in an 1892 diary entry. Munch described walking along a path in Kristiania (now Oslo) near the fjord at sunset when he felt an overwhelming sense of despair. This moment was influenced by the volcanic 1883 eruption of Krakatoa, which caused spectacular, blood-red sunsets across Europe for years. Munch was deeply affected by the early deaths of his mother and sister from tuberculosis, and his own frail health. His involvement with the Kristiania Bohème, a radical circle of artists and writers in Oslo, and exposure to the works of Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh further shaped his artistic vision. The composition was a direct precursor to his major cycle exploring psychological states, which he later exhibited in Berlin.

Description and interpretation

The central androgynous figure, with a skull-like head and hands clasped to its face, stands on a bridge overlooking the Oslofjord. Two distant figures walk away in the background, creating a sense of isolation. The landscape is rendered with swirling lines of vivid color, particularly in the fiery sky and deep blue water. Art historians often interpret the scene as a powerful symbol of modern existential angst and alienation. Scholars like Reinhold Heller and Sue Prideaux have linked it to contemporary philosophical ideas, including those of Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche. The visual distortion and emotional intensity are hallmarks of the Symbolist movement and early German Expressionism, influencing groups like Die Brücke.

Versions and media

Munch created four primary colored versions, plus a number of lithographs. The 1893 tempera and crayon on cardboard is held by the National Gallery in Oslo. A later 1910 version, using tempera and oil paint on cardboard, is in the collection of the Munch Museum in Oslo. This second version was the subject of a high-profile theft in 2004. Two other pastel versions exist from 1893 and 1895; the latter was sold at Sotheby's in 2012 for a record price. He also produced a black-and-white lithograph stone in 1895, allowing for wider distribution of the image, which significantly increased its fame.

Theft and recovery

Both the 1893 and 1910 versions have been stolen. The National Gallery's version was taken in 1994 on the opening day of the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer; it was recovered undamaged three months later. The more notorious theft occurred in 2004, when masked thieves used firearms to steal the 1910 version and Munch's Madonna from the Munch Museum in broad daylight. After a two-year investigation involving the Oslo Police District and international agencies, both paintings were recovered in 2006 with minor water damage. The trials of the perpetrators received extensive coverage in media like The New York Times.

Cultural impact and legacy

The image has permeated global popular culture, being referenced and parodied in countless mediums. It has appeared in films from Home Alone to Scream, and in television series like The Simpsons. It has been used in advertising, on emoji, and has inspired works by artists such as Andy Warhol and Erró. The painting is a recurring symbol in discussions of mental health and modern distress. Its enduring power was demonstrated when the 1895 pastel version achieved a then-record auction price for any artwork at Sotheby's in New York City. The work remains a cornerstone of the collections at the National Gallery and the Munch Museum, drawing visitors from around the world to Oslo.

Category:1893 paintings Category:Expressionist paintings Category:Paintings by Edvard Munch Category:Cultural depictions of anxiety