Even if you don’t know it by name, odds are you recognize this painting:

It was originally done in 1893 by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, whose birthday is today (1863); between 1893 and 1910, he produced several different versions. Munch began painting in the middle of the Impressionist movement, but soon decided that it was too superficial and that it limited his ability to express himself. His new direction–deriving his works from highly personal, emotional expression–heavily influenced the Expressionist movement.

Interestingly, Munch’s works seem to be highly susceptible to theft. The Scream was placed in a special gallery for the 1994 Olympics, but was stolen on the opening day while security was, presumable, focused on the games. While it was eventually recovered undamaged, a different version of The Scream, along with another Munch painting, Madonna, was stolen from the Munch Museum in 2004. These thieves were more careless; both paintings were damaged, and The Scream could not be fully repaired. Finally, in 2005, several other Munch works were stolen from a hotel in which they were on display; one of these was damaged as well.

A few final pieces of trivia regarding Munch:

• While American bank notes feature former presidents and other important figures in the founding of America, Norwegian ones feature important figures in the arts and sciences. Munch is on the 1000 Kroner note.
• You’re probably familiar with the Scream movie series–the iconic mask from these films was based on Munch’s painting.
• In 2006, while The Scream was still missing, the makers of M&Ms used the painting in an ad and offered a reward of 2 million M&Ms for its return; the paintings were returned within a few days. The company has offered to donate the cash value to the Munch Museum.

If you’re interested in reading more about Munch’s life, Sue Prideaux has written a biography entitled Edvard Munch: Behind the Scream. You’ll find it on the fourth floor in our biography collection.

	Jake Gauslow
	Adult Services Librarian
	jgauslow@friscotexas.gov