The Scream

The Scream is one of the most well-known pictures in the history of art and has become a popular icon of our time. The figure in the picture has been used in many different contexts and appears in everything from political posters to horror films. It even has its own emoji. The motif Edvard Munch created 130 years ago has now become a symbol we use to convey emotions. The Scream is often interpreted as a universal expression of anxiety and alienation.

The figure in The Scream has become a mysterious presence that is difficult to define. Is the figure we see a woman or a man? Is it wearing a black coat or a dress? Is it a skull or a face we are looking at? Why doesn’t the figure have hair? These difficult and indistinct features of the figure make The Scream into a visual enigma.

The Scream is both simple and complex. It is complex because it lends itself to so many different interpretations. Its simplicity has to do with the actual execution of the picture. We know that Munch drew sketches and worked with the motif over a long period of time, but the painting technique and lack of detail give the impression that it was painted quickly and spontaneously. This approach, along with the vibrant, non-realistic colours, signified a new way of creating art. The Scream marks a decisive point in art history where form and content are closely interrelated and are meant to express the same subject matter. The work is a key turning point from the symbolism movement in art to the expressionism of the 1900s.

The landscape we see in the picture is recognisable and shows the Kristiania fjord (Oslo fjord) seen from Ekeberg hill. Two men are walking in the background on the left.

Conceived as part of Munch’s semi-autobiographical cycle “The Frieze of Life,” The Scream’s composition exists in four forms: the first painting, done in oil, tempera, and pastel on cardboard (1893, Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo), two pastel examples (1893, Munch Museum, Oslo and 1895, private collection), and a final tempera painting (1910, Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo). Munch also created a lithographic version. The various renditions show the artist’s creativity and his interest in experimenting with the possibilities to be obtained across an array of media, while the work’s subject matter fits with Munch’s interest at the time in themes of relationships, life, death, and dread.