The Origin of Edward Munch’s ‘The Scream’

Edward Munch is best known for his masterpiece, The Scream, an image iconic for its use of symbolism and one of the most enduring pieces of twentieth-century art. In popular culture, Edward Munch is assosciated with art that evokes psychological deviations, espousing anxiety and terror. Munch’s own private fears and personal experiences figure prominently in his paintings, as his poetic account on the creation of The Scream, painted on the pastel version of the famous work, testifies:

I was walking along a path 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

In 2012, The Scream was sold for a staggering sum of nearly 120 million, which makes it one of the most expensive paintings ever to be sold.

In its exhibition held not long thereafter, The Tate Modern sought to explores the painter’s life and art, through all his ‘illness, madness and death’.

The Scream

Anxiety, 1894

Vampire, 1895

Madonna, 1894

Death In The Sickroom, 1893

Images © The Edward Munch Museum