The Scream
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Scream (Skrik, 1893) is a seminal series of expressionist paintings by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. It is said by some to symbolize the human species overwhelmed 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.
The Scream is one of the pieces in a series titled The Frieze of Life, in which Munch explored the themes of life, love, fear, death, and melancholy.
As with many of his works, he painted several versions of it. In a note in his diary, Munch described his inspiration for 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. I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.” –Edward Munch.
Similar paintings include Despair and Anxiety