Experts call this painting the second most popular after the unsurpassed "Mona Lisa". Only Leonardo da Vinci left us the secret of a smile, but Edward Munch shared more gloomy emotions. The painting "Scream" is considered the quintessence of human despair, loneliness, suffering. The train of real and far-fetched tragic stories only reinforces the gloomy aura of the canvas.
Threads stretch from childhood
Indeed, much is due to the childhood of the artist himself. Calling him happy is unlikely to succeed. The mother of the future Norwegian classic of expressionism died at a time when the baby Edward was five. The next death was experienced by a fourteen-year-old teenager even more deeply. His sister died away from consumption. Pain, despair, inability to save a loved one - these emotions are imbued with Munch's childhood memories. Then they will fill the artist’s paintings. Mental disorder - manic-depressive psychosis will also leave its mark.
The history of the painting "Scream"
Munch almost always described events, thoughts and feelings that anticipated the creation of the next painting. There is also quite specific information about the writing of the famous painting. The artist in his diary tells how he walked with his two friends at sunset and suddenly the sky, which turned blood red, seemed to crush him. Munch describes in detail the feeling of near-fatal fatigue that had embraced him. It seemed to him at that moment that an endless cry of despair pierced him and the surrounding nature. Hence the very first name of the canvas: "The cry of nature."
At the same time, some researchers of the Norwegian master’s work interpret the gesture of the asexual creature depicted on the canvas as protective. So a person covers his ears so as not to hear a loud noise tearing peace of mind. In addition, the effect of the bloody sky that the artist observed could be the result of the eruption of the volcano Krakatau. The painting "Scream" demonstrates that red eerie shade of the sky, which was typical for Europe from November 1883 to February 1884. All this time, volcanic ash hung in the atmosphere with a blanket.
Description of the masterpiece
The canvas is recognizable all over the world, but it is worth asking an casual visitor to the museum what is shown on it, how you will receive a verbal portrait in response , reminiscent of a character from a horror movie of the same name. By the way, his appearance was borrowed from Munch’s masterpiece, which the filmmakers did not hide.
Let us nevertheless consider the detailed description of the Scream painting. Her composition is simple and concise. The straight diagonal of the bridge and two realistic figures of men in the distance contrast with the human-like smoothly curved figure in the center of the canvas. The surrounding space: the sky, the river - also seem to wriggle and twist. A creature on canvas can only be hardly called a person, because it looks like a hairless, withered mummy with dips in the eye sockets and mouth. The creature pinches its head with long-fingered palms and screams silently. Only no one reacts to his cry. The figures confidently move into the distance along the bridge, without feeling despair and horror. Even the eerie sky, as if burning in a bloody fire, is unable to shake their calm.
At the same time, in the manner of writing, the picture “Scream” seems almost sketchy, furious and careless. But in fact, there is no talk of any rush. Munch worked carefully and thoughtfully. He was so carried away by the plot that he created several versions of the canvas.
A bit of mysticism
As mentioned above, an evil trail stretches behind the picture. Some consider this a curse of sorts. Indeed, several tragic incidents with the owners of the canvas or the unfortunate ones who came into direct contact with the picture, lead to unpleasant thoughts.
And if cases with severe depression, mental disorders can still be explained by excessive sensitivity, then how to explain the most famous case with a museum employee is unclear. The museum clerk was given the task of outweighing the canvas, but in the process he accidentally dropped it. The curse overtook the victim a week later. The employee got into a terrible car accident. The painting "Scream" did not spare another poor fellow who did not hold her in his hands. This employee began to suffer unbearable migraines, which brought the unfortunate to suicide.
World fame
But even this not the kindest aura has not extinguished interest in the canvas. On the contrary, all the horrors that were told about the canvas only fueled interest in it.
This fact is clearly confirmed by the auction held in the spring of 2012. It featured one of the Scream options. He went into a record 12 minutes of trading for a record nearly 200 million dollars. The future owner was not scared off by the unenviable fate of the previous owners of the canvas.
In addition, popular culture propagated the image created by Munch. Famous (and not so) contemporary artists give out their interpretations, in which the painting "Scream" is recognized. The description of the famous screaming creature is guessed in the already mentioned horror movie. In this role, the famous dad of the cartoon star Bart Simpson, Homer Simpson, was even lit up.