The Scream by Munch: where it is housed

THE SCREAM BY MUNCH: WHERE IT IS HOUSED AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PAINTING

The Scream by Munch is a very famous painting, reproduced and cited countless times.
This work is one of the most famous icons of modern art and portrays a landscape which is the projection of the psychological experience of the character that is in the foreground.

The Scream by Munch: Where it is housed

The scream (detail)

WHY MUNCH PAINTED THE SCREAM

Edvard Munch painted this work after a walk on the Ekeberg hill, above Oslo.
The artist wrote that, looking at the sunset, was overcome with melancholy which transformed into fear when the sky became as red as blood.
Looking at that sky he heard a scream piercing the nature.

“I was walking along the road with two friends – the sun was setting – suddenly the sky turned blood red – I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence – there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city – my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety – and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.” – Edvard Munch

DESCRITPION OF THE SCREAM BY MUNCH

The Scream by Munchis the representation of a feeling of fear and the artist conveys it to the viewer throughcoloursand a composition which is an absolute novelty in art world.

The protagonist is placed inside a landscape built with wavy lines and which seems to be unreal.
It’s a moodscape, a free interpretation of the artist based on what he felt in that moment.
The man himself, in the foreground, is caught while screaming loudly and raising hishands to cover his ears.

In this painting all the elements become an extension of the artist’s feelings.
Therefore, the wavy lines are like a labyrinth of emotions and the viewer’s eye, wandering in all directions looking for a reference point, produces a feeling of confusion.

WHERE THE SCREAM BY MUNCH IS HOUSED

There are four versions of The Scream by Munch, all painted between 1893 and 1910, but the most famous one hangs in the Nasjonalgalleriet (National Gallery) in Oslo (The Gallery is closed throughout 2019 because the entire collection will be transferred to the new National Museum which will open in Vestbanen in 2020).

The painting was stolen twice and then recovered.
The first time the painting was stolen on the opening day of the Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer in 1994.
The thieves left behind a note: ‘Thanks for the poor security.’ The painting was retrieved some months later.
The second time it was stolen in 2004 together with another work by Munch the “Madonna”.
The Scream by Munchwas exhibited to the public in 2008.

READ ALSO – Movies you must see: great artists at the cinema