Who Painted The Scream |
| May 09 2011 |
| {Articles >> Art History - Artworks} |
 |
| Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1893 via Wikimedia Commons |
Edvard Munch painted The Scream (also called The Cry) in 1893, oil on cardboard 36 x 29 inches. Munch's Scream is a frequently reproduced work in posters, and has taken on a symbolic, emotive quality. The Scream is recognized by everyone, even if they don't know the artist's name, and we can't help but theorize about the meaning behind it.
The Scandinavian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) studied in Oslo and Paris. Although Art Nouveau was the popular style of the time, and his work does show its influence, Munch developed a style that was highly personal. His work is moody and emotional, and his brush work is expressive. The themes of many of Munch's pieces, like The Scream and The Dance of Life, are enigmatic and disturbing. To put the startling nature of The Scream into context, consider the other kinds of work being produced in the 1890s: the landscapes of Cézanne, Degas's dancers, and Monet began his waterlily series.
Despite the overexposure of this famous work, The Scream continues to trigger a kind of grim fascination. It prompts questions from the viewer. Who is the figure in the foreground, who gasps or screams grasping his (or her?) face. Who are the distant figures at the end of the boardwalk? Why is the landscape so distorted, almost like a hallucination?
Munch claimed the figure was himself and is quoted "I was tired and ill—I stood looking out across the fjord— the sun was setting—the clouds were coloured red— like blood—I felt as though a scream went through nature—I thought I heard a scream—I painted this picture—painted the clouds like real blood. The colours were screaming." (in Hughes).
Works like The Scream signal a movement in the late 19th century towards overt expressions of anxiety and inner psychology. Other examples of these disturbing, introspective, candid portraits that speak the viewer of inner conflicts through use of color, swirling brushstrokes, and facial expression: Van Gogh's self-portraits, Toulouse-Lautrec's portraits from the Moulin Rouge, and the works of James Ensor.
The Scream is significant in isolation as a compelling psychological portrait; in the context of art history, it represents the late 19th, early 20th century growing fascination with psychology, and the move towards Expressionism.
For more on Edvard Munch, check out these websites:
Tags: