THE SCREAM : Unheard Yet Heard

THE SCREAM is a remarkable piece of impressionist art made Edward Munch primarily in the year 1893. Originally known as Der Schrei der Natur (the scream of nature), features extravagant yet distorted figures, contrasting colours and a window into painter's thoughts and ideas. The inspiration of the painting came around in 1892.....

Inspiration

It was in January1892, while he was strolling along two roads on the fjord overlooking Oslo, a city in Norway. It was the time near sunset when scene in front of him knocked the air out of him. It was like any other  evening, sun setting above the sea, unfolding an extravagant spread of red, orange and yellow.


Munch's family had been riddled with mental illnesses for generations, and he was no exception. He was tormented with depression and was eventually diagnosed with neurasthenia, a mental illness associated with hysteria ad hypochondria. This tells us something about why the scene which most may have found beautiful even seemed absolutely terrifying. He was overwhelmed with so many emotions that he stood still right there, frozen and  horrified at the colours in front, while his two friends walked ahead.
Rather than finding the sky in all its glory, sombrely resplendent, he found it to be an apocalyptic crimson. Blood red, as if it had tongues of fires were lashing at the world below. The high and frantic waves may seem tranquil to many, but to him seemed to be as he put is " resonating an infinite scream of nature".


Features and Significance

  •  The painting is of an abstracted landscape made of swirling and distorted line that show nature in its true form, chaos.
  •  All manmade structures (bridge, men, boat) are shown in rigid lines highlighting a contrast between nature and civilization forced upon it.
Blue- rigid, Green- swirling

  •  The image is made of brush strokes and pastel line with only 3 major separating line -
    •  the railing of the bridge, 
    • the line separating the sky and sea,
    •  and one separating what seems to be a piece of land and sea
  
  •  There are many figurative figures in the painting;
    •  the boat in the distance amidst the sea shows the concept of space and time,
    •  and the two figures standing on the bridge are Munch's friends but also represent the prying eyes of judging from afar ,which weren't new to Munch.

  •  The most remarkable feature of the painting is the person standing in the foreground. Who is it? The figure seems an ageless, raceless and sexless being which thought to be inspired by the Peruvian Mummy which was put up for display in 1892.

  •  The colours used are make powerful contrasts, the extravagant red and orange with the dull blues and greens everywhere else.
  •  Though the painting appears simple a clever contrast of complementary colours has been used ( blue-orange, red-green) which makes a powerful tool for depicting drama and emotions.
In all today, The Scream represents modern anxiety and alienation, Munch was discontented with the evolving modern world and it's irreversible impacts on nature, which we can all resonate today.

Interesting Facts

  •  A less known fact about The Scream is that it has 4 versions that were by Munch:
    •  Pastel (original, 1893)
    •  Pastel II (1895)
    •  Tempera Version(1910)
    •  Lithography Version ( for mass reproduction , 1895)

  •  The Scream has been stolen TWICE!!!
    •  In 1994 the original Pastel was from the National Gallery of Oslo, but thankfully returned within two months, completely undamaged
    •  The 1910 version was stolen in 2004 in broad daylight from the Munch Museum in Norway due to their lack of security. It was recovered in 2006 with quite some damage. Funnily, the thief confessed when M&M and Mars Inc. collaborated to promote the new dark M&Ms and put a bounty of 2 million M&Ms. In the end, Mars gave 2.2 tonnes candy to the Norwegian authorities and the thief ended in prison.

  •  Munch wasn't happy about any restoration done for the painting, he wanted people to see the effects of time on his work. He said, " They'd do well fending for themselves."

  •  The person in the foreground isn't actually screaming as often mistaken but trying to block out the 'shrieks of nature'. it isn't made to represent any one person.

  • It's powerful expression has proliferated in daily life in forms of emojis




  • It has made its way into Pop art and culture, many memes, caricatures and adaptations of The Scream can be found all over the net.

  •  One of the versions of The Scream was put up for auction Sotheby in 2012 ,was sold to Peter Olsen for $120 million, setting a Guinness World Record of most expensive painting sold in an auction.




Hope the content above was helpful. Please leave a comment below and follow me on Instagram on @detail_artwith_a12 for timely updates.

Signing off
A.

Comments

Unknown said…
Very well summed up all the facts.
May 12, 2020 at 7:53 PM
Manish said…
Quite an amazing way of looking at art. I almost skipped the boat if it was not specified above. Love the linkage with old with current times: the emoji one. How cool was that. Love the la gauge and the details.
May 13, 2020 at 2:04 PM
Unknown said…
Very interesting article, really explains everything in detail. All the best for your upcoming post.
May 15, 2020 at 10:16 PM
Unknown said…
A good perspective on the struggles and anxieties of both the artists and how they portrayed it in their art.
May 15, 2020 at 10:37 PM
Post a Comment

Popular Posts

THE FIRESIDE ANGEL: A Prediction Of War

Image
At request from  Mariela Rangel The Fireside Angel is a fairy recent painting in consideration to most we have talked about. Made in 1937 , it is a painting made by Max Ernst . It is a work of surrealism ( an art and literature movement in the early 1920s,  that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind) , an art movement, other than Dada , participated in by Ernst. It has been painted with great splendor and vibrantly painted making the painting almost seem alive. Inspiration Ernst made this painting for the Exposition International Du Surr é alisme , an exhibition held on  January 17 to February 24, 1938 , in the generously equipped Galérie Beaux-Arts , run by Georges Wildenstein.  An Exhibit at Exposition International Du   Surr é alisme Some times called the ' Angel Of The Home' , it was made by the German painter with a grand array of dynamic qualities, some more prevalent than the others. It is an oil on canvas painting. S
Read more

NIGHTHAWK: The Lonely Diner

Image
Nighthawks , a painting made by the American painter Edward Hopper , is one of the best known works made in the past century. Made in 1942 , it is said to be Hopper's best known work. Though, fairly recent, at least in comparison to most well-known paintings, 'Nighthawks is one of the most recognisable painting in American art . Nighthawks (original) Inspiration There have been many guesses on what exactly prompted the author to make this painting. Though unlike many other, older paintings, many records about him and the painting are present, as far as few of his own comments about it and what place exactly is portrayed in it, none truly tell us about his true inspiration. Hopper was known for being a public admire of Ernst Hemingway's  work . It is believed it was one of his short stories that inspired this avant-garde work of art. 'The Killers' , which Hopper greatly admired, or the more philosophical and esoteric ' The Clean, Well-Light
Read more

WHAT IS ART?

Image
Art can be stroke of the paint brush, the poem of a poet, the smile on the person standing next to you, a lullaby a mother sings to her child. Art can be finesse, it can be chaos. It can be your outlet of pain or your way to show happiness. Art is everywhere if you see it but nowhere if you don't. It's anything that has left an impression on someone, caused a little stir of emotions. Maybe filled  your heart sunshine, maybe caused unease in your soul. Art can your moment of peace or the things that make you question your beliefs. it can be seen in the divinity of nature, in the rare strikes of humanity. Art lives within us.... Some artists have left marks that have stirred hearts of those who understand art for many centuries. With works so great that they still inspire the new age. But what were their inspirations? what message did they leave? What are the secrets of their works? That's what this detailing is all about. The details and secrets of the art that
Read more

THE SCHOOL OF ATHENS: A Gathering Of The Greats

Image
The 16th century, the era of such immense talent one can do nothing but be mesmerised. It was the time of Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael . The list of their a/chievements and works can go on to no end, but for now we are only going to talk about Raffaelo Sanzio, commonly known as Raphael . To be more precise his painting, ' The School Of Athens '. Made between 1509 and 1511 , it is counted as one of his biggest accomplishments. Inspiration The School Of Athens is a fresco . It is a part of many commissioned by the Pope so as to decorate a group of 4 rooms in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, known as the Stanze Di Raffaelo , which means The Raphael Rooms. This particular fresco was painted in the Stanze della Segnatura , which was the first one to be made and 'The School Of Athens' was the third of the four frescos in the room to be completed. This piece of work is seen as Raphael's masterpiece. It is seen as the perfect embodiment
Read more

THE STARRY NIGHT : Facts and Misconceptions

Image
The Starry Night is one of the most prominent, copied and adapted pieces of art around the globe. Made by Vincent Van Gogh in the last few years of life, it is a brilliant piece of art, commonly mistaken as expressionist, it is Post-impressionist painting . Made in a mental asylum in 1889 , there are many misconceptions that have been formed about the painting over the years, its composition, colours and meanings have been misinterpreted by many. Let's see if we clear out a few... Inspiration Van Gogh made this painting after suffering the 23 December 1888 mental breakdown, which makes quiet an anecdote, as it led to the self-mutilation  of his left ear . This led  him to  voluntarily admit himself to the Saint-Paul-De-Mausole lunatic asylum on 8 May 1889 , where the painting came to life. One common mistake people make is assuming that the painting was inspired by the view of the town below from his window; whereas he was neither allowed to paint in his bedroom
Read more

THE MARTYR OF SOLWAY: The Tale Yet To Be Heard

Image
On request of  @isax1124 The Martyr Of Solway , a Pre-Raphaelite work of art, made in 1871 , tells a story older than itself. Made by John Everett Millias , the painting is seamlessly perfect. Painted with loose strokes, with a sort of painterly hand. It shows the story, one that found an important place in the history of Christianity . Inspiration the scene is inspired by an incident of that took place on 13th April, 1685 on the Solway Firth , located on the west coast of Scotland , where an 18 year old girl was executed . The painting depicts the ingrained faith the girl had in her God . The Solway Firth Also known as he Wigton Martyr , the girl played a major role in the Presbyterian Movement . Only little is known about the intricacies of the painting itself, possibly due to the fact that the final act of sacrifice has become more fascinating for the viewer than the painting itself. So, who was this young lady ? And what is her story? Interpretation and Feat
Read more