TOW #11: "The Scream" by Edvard Munch (Visual Text)

     Norwegian artist Edvard Munch's The Scream is likely one of the most iconic pieces of art in history. With its striking color scheme and macabre depictions, The Scream immediately stood out from the rest of the impressionist works completed in the late 19th century. When Munch was asked to describe the setting of his work he replied, "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." This makes it clear that Munch's purpose in creating this painting was to not only depict the remarkable sunset he saw that night but to also depict his inner feelings of paranoia, anxiety, and anger.
     Like most other artists, Munch personally struggled with feelings of mental illness; his own sister was in the hospital for instability during the time period of the painting. Some art historians have even noticed the mental hospital included behind the painting's subject, a genderless person staring straight and screaming the "infinite scream of nature" Munch had mentioned hearing. Since it is not clear whether the subject is a man or a woman, historians have concluded that it is actually a portrait of both Munch and his sister.
     Munch's color scheme and imagery completely help his in achieving his purpose. The crimson and scarlet streaks in the sky give the viewer a sense of panic and disorder; Munch's description of "tongues of fire and blood" further gives his audience a sense of violence. His subject's facial expression brings about the feelings of fear and confusion Munch and his sister had suffered with. Since Munch was actually a very popular artist at the time, he created his work knowing that it would be seen by the public. Because of its initially puzzling representation and ominous meaning, The Scream remains to be one of the most enigmatic pieces of artwork to this day.

Fun fact: Two different versions of The Scream have been stolen before by art thefts: one painted version was stolen from the National Gallery, Oslo in 1994, and another painted version was stolen in 2004 from the Munch Museum along with painting Madonna