The Scream

The Scream is one of the most famous paintings in the world. It was created by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch in 1893. Munch created four versions of the painting, currently displayed in different museums.
The Scream shows a distorted and stylized figure against an orange and red colored sky. The central figure has an exaggerated expression of angst and anxiety. Its mouth is open, and the hands are clasped against the sides of the face in a gesture of silent screaming. The landscape in the background seems to be melting away. The overall feeling conveyed is one of human anguish and crushing existential dread.
Munch created this work to represent the angst of the human condition. The red sky was inspired by an unusual sunset Munch witnessed. The landscape shows a view from Oslofjord. The weird and wavy brushstrokes and the eerie colors and hues highlighted the concept of human anxiety, angst, and isolation that Munch wanted to portray. The Scream has become an iconic work that represents humanity’s deepest inner anxieties and angst.
Other famous artworks Munch created include The Sick Child, Death in the Sickroom, The Dance of Life, and Vampire. Munch is associated with the early 20th-century art movement Expressionism. His paintings and artworks often depict challenging themes of human existence including death, anxiety, individual alienation, and melancholy. The Scream has cemented Munch’s place as a pioneer in Expressionism. His works have had a huge influence on later artists.