The Scream

The Scream (Skrik, 1893) is a seminal expressionist painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch.

Regarded by many as his most important work, it is said by some to symbolize modern man taken by an attack of existential angst.

The landscape in the background is Oslofjord, viewed from the hill of Ekeberg.

The Norwegian word skrik is usually translated as "scream", but is cognate with the English shriek.

Occasionally, the painting has been called The Cry.

Munch executed four versions of the painting, of which the most famous are a tempera on cardboard version (measuring 83.5 x 66 cm) formerly in the Munch Museum, Oslo, Norway (shown below), and an oil, tempera, and pastel on cardboard (measuring 91 x 73.5 cm) in the National Gallery (shown to right), also in Oslo.

A third version is also owned by the Munch Museum, and a fourth is owned by Petter Olsen.

Munch later also translated the picture into a lithograph (shown below), so the image could be reproduced in reviews all over the world.

However, the original is currently missing from the Munch Museum, having been stolen by art thieves in August 2004.

Sources of inspiration

Munch wrote, concerning the image:

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.

This has led some commentators to propose that the person in the painting is not screaming, but reacting with despair to the scream passing through nature.

The scene is from a road overlooking Oslo, the Oslofjord and Hovedøya, from the hill of Ekeberg.

At the time of painting the work Munch's manic depressive sister Laura Cathrine was interned in the mental hospital at the foot of Ekeberg.

In 2003, astronomers claimed to have identified the time that the painting depicted.

The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 caused unusually intense sunsets throughout Europe in the winter of 1883-4, which Munch captured in his picture.

In 1978, the renowned Munch scholar Robert Rosenblum suggested that the strange, sexless creature in the foreground of the painting was probably inspired by a Peruvian mummy which Munch could have seen at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris.

This mummy, which was crouching in fetal position with its hands alongside its face, also struck the imagination of Munch's friend Paul Gauguin:

it stood model for the central figure in his painting Human misery (Grape harvest at Arles) and for the old woman at the left in his painting

More recently, an Italian anthropologist speculated that Munch might have seen a mummy in Florence's Museum of Natural History which bears an even more striking resemblance to the painting.

Thefts

On 12 February 1994 the National Gallery's Scream was stolen.

Initially the theft was linked to various anti-abortion groups active in Norway, but this turned out to be false.

After three months, the painting was offered back to the Norwegian government for a ransom of USD $1 million.

The ransom was refused, but the painting was nevertheless recovered on 7 May, following a sting operation organised by the Norwegian police with assistance from the British Police and the Getty Museum.

On August 22, 2004, the Munch Museum's Scream was stolen at gunpoint, along with Munch's Madonna.

Museum officials expressed hope that they would see the painting again, theorizing that perhaps the thieves would seek ransom money.

The paintings are still missing.

On April 8, 2005, Norwegian police arrested a suspect in connection with the theft.

On April 28, 2005, it was rumoured that the two paintings had been burnt by the thieves to conceal evidence.

On June 1, 2005, the City Government of Oslo offered a reward of 2 million Norwegian kroner (about USD $320,000) for information that could help locate the paintings.

Role in popular culture

In the late 20th century, The Scream acquired iconic status in popular culture.

In 1983-1984, pop artist Andy Warhol made a series of silk prints of works by Munch, including The Scream.

The idea was to desacralize the painting by devaluating its originality and making it into a mass-reproducible object.

However, as remarked above, Munch had already begun that process himself, by making a lithograph of the work for reproduction.

Characteristic of post-modern art is Erró's ironic and irreverent treatment of Munch's masterpiece in his acrylic paintings The Second Scream (1967) and Ding Dong (1979).

The work's reproduction on all kinds of items, from tee shirts to coffee mugs, bears witness to its iconic status as well as to its complete desacralization in the eyes of today's public.

In that respect, it is comparable to other iconic works of art, such as Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

The Scream is an emotionally very potent work, and the banalization of the image in popular culture can be interpreted as an attempt to defuse the feeling of unease it inevitabily provokes in the viewer, though some would say that this interpretation is overcomplication, and that the makers of merchandise are simply trying to make money off a well known image.

An American muralist, Robert Fishbone, discovered a gap in the market when in 1991 he started selling inflatable dolls of the central figure in the painting.

His St. Louis-based company, On The Wall Productions, has sold hundreds of thousands of them.

Critics have observed that by taking the figure out of its context (the landscape), Fishbone has destroyed the unity of Munch's work, thereby neutralizing its expressive force.

As one of very few works of modern art that are instantly recognizable even to people who know very little about art, The Scream has been used in advertising, in cartoons and on television.

In one of her talk shows, Dame Edna Everage appeared in a Scream-patterned dress.

The work has also fascinated film makers.

Ghostface, the crazy slasher in Wes Craven's Scream horror movies, wears a Halloween mask reminiscent of the central figure in the painting.

Child actor Macaulay Culkin's pose in front of the mirror, in Home Alone by Chris Columbus, also refers ironically to Munch's work.

The Scream (Skrik, 1893) is a seminal expressionist painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. Regarded by many as his most important work, it is said by some to symbolize modern man taken by an attack of existential angst. The landscape in the background is Oslofjord, viewed from the hill of Ekeberg. The Norwegian word skrik is usually translated as "scream", but is cognate with the English shriek. Occasionally, the painting has been called The Cry. Munch executed four versions of the painting, of which the most famous are a tempera on cardboard version (measuring 83.5 x 66 cm) formerly in the Munch Museum, Oslo, Norway (shown below), and an oil, tempera, and pastel on cardboard (measuring 91 x 73.5 cm) in the National Gallery (shown to right), also in Oslo. A third version is also owned by the Munch Museum, and a fourth is owned by Petter Olsen. Munch later also translated the picture into a lithograph (shown below), so the image could be reproduced in reviews all over the world. However, the original is currently missing from the Munch Museum, having been stolen by art thieves in August 2004. Sources of inspiration Munch wrote, concerning the image: 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. This has led some commentators to propose that the person in the painting is not screaming, but reacting with despair to the scream passing through nature. The scene is from a road overlooking Oslo, the Oslofjord and Hovedøya, from the hill of Ekeberg. At the time of painting the work Munch's manic depressive sister Laura Cathrine was interned in the mental hospital at the foot of Ekeberg. In 2003, astronomers claimed to have identified the time that the painting depicted. The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 caused unusually intense sunsets throughout Europe in the winter of 1883-4, which Munch captured in his picture. In 1978, the renowned Munch scholar Robert Rosenblum suggested that the strange, sexless creature in the foreground of the painting was probably inspired by a Peruvian mummy which Munch could have seen at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris. This mummy, which was crouching in fetal position with its hands alongside its face, also struck the imagination of Munch's friend Paul Gauguin: it stood model for the central figure in his painting Human misery (Grape harvest at Arles) and for the old woman at the left in his painting More recently, an Italian anthropologist speculated that Munch might have seen a mummy in Florence's Museum of Natural History which bears an even more striking resemblance to the painting. Thefts On 12 February 1994 the National Gallery's Scream was stolen. Initially the theft was linked to various anti-abortion groups active in Norway, but this turned out to be false. After three months, the painting was offered back to the Norwegian government for a ransom of USD $1 million. The ransom was refused, but the painting was nevertheless recovered on 7 May, following a sting operation organised by the Norwegian police with assistance from the British Police and the Getty Museum. On August 22, 2004, the Munch Museum's Scream was stolen at gunpoint, along with Munch's Madonna. Museum officials expressed hope that they would see the painting again, theorizing that perhaps the thieves would seek ransom money. The paintings are still missing. On April 8, 2005, Norwegian police arrested a suspect in connection with the theft. On April 28, 2005, it was rumoured that the two paintings had been burnt by the thieves to conceal evidence. On June 1, 2005, the City Government of Oslo offered a reward of 2 million Norwegian kroner (about USD $320,000) for information that could help locate the paintings. Role in popular culture In the late 20th century, The Scream acquired iconic status in popular culture. In 1983-1984, pop artist Andy Warhol made a series of silk prints of works by Munch, including The Scream. The idea was to desacralize the painting by devaluating its originality and making it into a mass-reproducible object. However, as remarked above, Munch had already begun that process himself, by making a lithograph of the work for reproduction. Characteristic of post-modern art is Erró's ironic and irreverent treatment of Munch's masterpiece in his acrylic paintings The Second Scream (1967) and Ding Dong (1979). The work's reproduction on all kinds of items, from tee shirts to coffee mugs, bears witness to its iconic status as well as to its complete desacralization in the eyes of today's public. In that respect, it is comparable to other iconic works of art, such as Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. The Scream is an emotionally very potent work, and the banalization of the image in popular culture can be interpreted as an attempt to defuse the feeling of unease it inevitabily provokes in the viewer, though some would say that this interpretation is overcomplication, and that the makers of merchandise are simply trying to make money off a well known image. An American muralist, Robert Fishbone, discovered a gap in the market when in 1991 he started selling inflatable dolls of the central figure in the painting. His St. Louis-based company, On The Wall Productions, has sold hundreds of thousands of them. Critics have observed that by taking the figure out of its context (the landscape), Fishbone has destroyed the unity of Munch's work, thereby neutralizing its expressive force. As one of very few works of modern art that are instantly recognizable even to people who know very little about art, The Scream has been used in advertising, in cartoons and on television. In one of her talk shows, Dame Edna Everage appeared in a Scream-patterned dress. The work has also fascinated film makers. Ghostface, the crazy slasher in Wes Craven's Scream horror movies, wears a Halloween mask reminiscent of the central figure in the painting. Child actor Macaulay Culkin's pose in front of the mirror, in Home Alone by Chris Columbus, also refers ironically to Munch's work. °	TESTO PARALLELO INCASELLATO Scopri come è facile capire l'inglese se c'è a fianco la traduzione parallela incasellata!
	The Scream (Skrik, 1893) is a seminal expressionist painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch.	L'urlo (Skrik, 1893) è un dipinto espressionista di grande rilievo* dell'artista norvegese Edward Munch.
	Regarded by many as his most important work, it is said by some to symbolize modern man taken by an attack of existential angst.	Ritenuto da molti come la sua miglior opera, alcuni dicono che simboleggi l'uomo moderno colpito da un attacco di angoscia esistenziale.
	The landscape in the background is Oslofjord, viewed from the hill of Ekeberg.	Il paesaggio sullo sfondo ritrae Oslofjord, vista dalla collina di Ekeberg.
	The Norwegian word skrik is usually translated as "scream", but is cognate with the English shriek.	La parola norvegese skrik è comunemente tradotta con la parola "scream" [urlo], ma è cognata con l'inglese shriek [urlo, strillo].
	Occasionally, the painting has been called The Cry.	In alcune occasioni il dipinto è stato chiamato The cry [il grido]
	Munch executed four versions of the painting, of which the most famous are a tempera on cardboard version (measuring 83.5 x 66 cm) formerly in the Munch Museum, Oslo, Norway (shown below), and an oil, tempera, and pastel on cardboard (measuring 91 x 73.5 cm) in the National Gallery (shown to right), also in Oslo.	Munch eseguì quattro versioni del dipinto, le più famose delle quali sono una versione a tempera su cartone (misure 83.5 x 66 cm), un tempo custodita nel Munch Museum di Oslo, Norvegia (foto sotto), e un olio, tempera e pastelli sempre su cartone (misure 91 x 73.5 cm), custodito nella National Gallery (foto a destra) anch'esso nella città di Oslo.
	A third version is also owned by the Munch Museum, and a fourth is owned by Petter Olsen.	Una terza versione appartiene anch'essa al Munch Museum ed una quarta è di proprietà di Petter Olsen.
	Munch later also translated the picture into a lithograph (shown below), so the image could be reproduced in reviews all over the world.	Più tardi Munch convertì il suo dipinto anche in una litografia (foto sotto), così che l'immagine potesse essere riprodotta nelle pubblicazioni di tutto il mondo.
	However, the original is currently missing from the Munch Museum, having been stolen by art thieves in August 2004.	Ad ogni modo, il dipinto originale non è attualmente presente nel Munch Museum, dato che è stato rubato da ladri d'arte nell'agosto del 2004.
	Sources of inspiration	Fonti di ispirazione
	Munch wrote, concerning the image:	Munch scrisse, riferendosi all'immagine:
	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.	Stavo camminando lungo un sentiero con due amici - il sole stava tramontando - improvvisamente il cielo si dipinse di rosso sangue - Mi fermai, sentendomi esausto e mi posai sulla staccionata - c'erano sangue e lingue di fuoco sopra il fiordo nero-blu e la città - i miei amici continuarono a camminare, ed io rimasi lì tremolante e pieno d'ansia - e sentii un infinito urlo attraversare la natura.
	This has led some commentators to propose that the person in the painting is not screaming, but reacting with despair to the scream passing through nature.	Questo ha indotto alcuni commentatori ad ipotizzare che la persona nel dipinto non stia urlando, ma stia reagendo con disperazione all'urlo che passa attraverso la natura.
	The scene is from a road overlooking Oslo, the Oslofjord and Hovedøya, from the hill of Ekeberg.	La scena è ritratta da una via prospicente le città di Oslo, Oslofjord e Hovedøya, dalla collina di Ekeberg.
	At the time of painting the work Munch's manic depressive sister Laura Cathrine was interned in the mental hospital at the foot of Ekeberg.	All'epoca dell'esecuzione del dipinto la sorella di Munch, Laura Cathrine, affetta da attachi maniaco-depressivi, fu internata in un ospedale psichiatrico situato ai piedi della collina di Ekeberg.
	In 2003, astronomers claimed to have identified the time that the painting depicted.	Nel 2003, alcuni astronomi affermarono di aver identificato il periodo in cui il quadro fu dipinto.
	The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 caused unusually intense sunsets throughout Europe in the winter of 1883-4, which Munch captured in his picture.	L'eruzione del Krakatoa nel 1883 causò dei tramonti insolitamenti intensi in tutta l'Europa nell'inverno del 1883-84 e l'artista li catturò nel suo dipinto.
	In 1978, the renowned Munch scholar Robert Rosenblum suggested that the strange, sexless creature in the foreground of the painting was probably inspired by a Peruvian mummy which Munch could have seen at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris.	Nel 1978, il celebre studioso di Munch, Robert Rosenblum suggerì che la strana creatura asessuata che appare in primo piano nel dipinto fosse probabilmente ispirata da una mummia peruviana che Munch poteva aver visto all'Exposition Universelle di Parigi nel 1889.
	This mummy, which was crouching in fetal position with its hands alongside its face, also struck the imagination of Munch's friend Paul Gauguin:	Questa mummia acquattata in posizione fetale con le mani lungo il suo viso colpì molto anche l'immaginazione dell'amico di Munch, Paul Gaugin:
	it stood model for the central figure in his painting Human misery (Grape harvest at Arles) and for the old woman at the left in his painting	infatti fece da modello per la figura centrale del suo dipinto Human misery (Grape harvest at Arles) e per l'anziana donna raffigurata sulla sinistra del dipinto
	More recently, an Italian anthropologist speculated that Munch might have seen a mummy in Florence's Museum of Natural History which bears an even more striking resemblance to the painting.	Più recentemente un antropologo italiano ha ipotizzato che Munch potrebbe aver visto al Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze una mummia che evidenzia una somiglianza ancora più impressionante al soggetto del dipinto.
	Thefts	Furti
	On 12 February 1994 the National Gallery's Scream was stolen.	Il 12 febbraio del 1994 venne rubata la versione dell'Urlo della National Gallery.
	Initially the theft was linked to various anti-abortion groups active in Norway, but this turned out to be false.	Inizialmente il furto fu ricollegato a vari gruppi anti-aborto attivi in Norvegia, ma questo risultò essere falso.
	After three months, the painting was offered back to the Norwegian government for a ransom of USD $1 million.	Dopo tre mesi, il dipinto venne offerto al governo norvegese per un riscatto di 1 milione di dollari americani.
	The ransom was refused, but the painting was nevertheless recovered on 7 May, following a sting operation organised by the Norwegian police with assistance from the British Police and the Getty Museum.	Il riscatto fu rifiutato, ma ciononostante il dipinto venne recuperato il 7 maggio a seguito di un'operazione segreta organizzata dalla polizia norvegese con l'aiuto della polizia britannica e del Getty Museum.
	On August 22, 2004, the Munch Museum's Scream was stolen at gunpoint, along with Munch's Madonna.	Il 22 agosto del 2004 la versione dell'Urlo del Munch Museum venne rubata sotto la minaccia di un'arma da fuoco congiuntamente alla Madonna di Munch.
	Museum officials expressed hope that they would see the painting again, theorizing that perhaps the thieves would seek ransom money.	I massimi dirigenti del museo espressero la speranza di poter rivedere i dipinti, teorizzando che forse i ladri avrebbero cercato un riscatto in denaro.
	The paintings are still missing.	I dipinti non sono ancora stati restituiti.
	On April 8, 2005, Norwegian police arrested a suspect in connection with the theft.	L'8 aprile 2005 la polizia norvegese ha arrestato un sospetto in connessione con il furto.
	On April 28, 2005, it was rumoured that the two paintings had been burnt by the thieves to conceal evidence.	Il 28 aprile 2005 si è diffusa la voce che i due dipinti siano stati bruciati dai ladri per cancellare le prove.
	On June 1, 2005, the City Government of Oslo offered a reward of 2 million Norwegian kroner (about USD $320,000) for information that could help locate the paintings.	Il primo giugno 2005 il governo della città di Oslo ha offerto una ricompensa di 2 milioni di corone norvegesi (circa $320,000) per informazioni che possano aiutare a ritrovare i dipinti.
	Role in popular culture	Ruolo nella cultura popolare
	In the late 20th century, The Scream acquired iconic status in popular culture.	Verso la fine del ventesimo secolo, L'urlo acquisì uno status di icona nella cultura popolare.
	In 1983-1984, pop artist Andy Warhol made a series of silk prints of works by Munch, including The Scream.	Nel 1983-1984 Andy Warhol, artista della pop art, eseguì una serie di stampe su seta dei lavori di Munch, tra cui L'urlo.
	The idea was to desacralize the painting by devaluating its originality and making it into a mass-reproducible object.	L'idea era di desacralizzare il dipinto svalutandone l'unicità e trasformandolo in un oggetto riproducibile di massa.
	However, as remarked above, Munch had already begun that process himself, by making a lithograph of the work for reproduction.	Tuttavia, come già citato sopra, Munch aveva già iniziato questo processo da sé, eseguendo una litografia dell'opera per la successiva riproduzione.
	Characteristic of post-modern art is Erró's ironic and irreverent treatment of Munch's masterpiece in his acrylic paintings The Second Scream (1967) and Ding Dong (1979).	Caratteristico dell'arte post-moderna è l'ironico e irriverente trattamento di Errò del capolavoro di Munch nelle sue opere in acrilico The Second Scream (1967) and Ding Dong (1979).
	The work's reproduction on all kinds of items, from tee shirts to coffee mugs, bears witness to its iconic status as well as to its complete desacralization in the eyes of today's public.	La riproduzione dell'opera su ogni tipo di cosa, dalle T-shirts alle tazze per il caffè* testimonia il suo stato di icona nonché la sua completa desacralizazione agli occhi del pubblico dei nostri giorni.
	In that respect, it is comparable to other iconic works of art, such as Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.	Sotto quest'aspetto è comparabile ad altri lavori considerati icone nell'arte, come la Mona Lisa di Leonardo Da Vinci.
	The Scream is an emotionally very potent work, and the banalization of the image in popular culture can be interpreted as an attempt to defuse the feeling of unease it inevitabily provokes in the viewer, though some would say that this interpretation is overcomplication, and that the makers of merchandise are simply trying to make money off a well known image.	L'urlo è un opera emozionalmente molto forte e la banalizazione della sua immagine nella cultura popolare può essere interpretata come un tentativo di attenuare il senso di disagio che l'opera inevitabilmente provoca nell'osservatore, tuttavia alcuni dicono che questa interpretazione è un po' troppo sofisticata, e che in realtà i produttori di merchandising stanno semplicemente cercando di fare soldi con un'immagine ben conosciuta.
	An American muralist, Robert Fishbone, discovered a gap in the market when in 1991 he started selling inflatable dolls of the central figure in the painting.	Un muralista americano, Robert Fishbone scoprì una nuova nicchia nel mercato quando nel 1991 cominciò a vendere bambole gonfiabili della figura centrale del dipinto.
	His St. Louis-based company, On The Wall Productions, has sold hundreds of thousands of them.	La sua compagnia con sede a Saint Louis, On The Wall Productions, ne ha vendute a centinaia di migliaia.
	Critics have observed that by taking the figure out of its context (the landscape), Fishbone has destroyed the unity of Munch's work, thereby neutralizing its expressive force.	I critici hanno osservato che togliendo la figura dal suo contesto (il paesaggio) Fishbone ha distrutto l'unità del lavoro di Munch neutralizzandone così la forza espressiva.
	As one of very few works of modern art that are instantly recognizable even to people who know very little about art, The Scream has been used in advertising, in cartoons and on television.	In quanto è una delle pochissime opere dell'arte moderna che sono immediatamente riconoscibili anche da persone che sanno ben poco di arte, L'urlo è stato usato in pubblicità, nei cartoni animati e in televisione.
	In one of her talk shows, Dame Edna Everage appeared in a Scream-patterned dress.	In uno dei suoi talk-shows, Dame Edna Everage si presentò in un abito modello Urlo di Munch.
	The work has also fascinated film makers.	L'opera ha anche affascinato diversi registi.
	Ghostface, the crazy slasher in Wes Craven's Scream horror movies, wears a Halloween mask reminiscent of the central figure in the painting.	Ghostface, il pazzo squartatore del film horror "Scream" di Wes Craven, indossa una maschera di Halloween che ricorda il soggetto del dipinto.
	Child actor Macaulay Culkin's pose in front of the mirror, in Home Alone by Chris Columbus, also refers ironically to Munch's work.	Anche la posa davanti allo specchio del attore bambino Macaulay Culkin in "Home Alone" di Chris Columbus, si riferisce ironicamente all'opera di Munch.