Essay Sample about The History of The Scream Painting Creating

Edvard Munch was a Norwegian artist. His best known work, ‘The Scream’, has become one of the iconic images of world art. The National Museum in Oslo, Norway holds this iconic work by Munch. ‘The Scream’ is an example of expressionistic painting, Expressionism “refers to art in which the image of reality is distorted in order to make it expressive of the artist's inner feelings or ideas.” 

Going out for a walk at sunset when suddenly the setting sun's light turned the clouds a blood red, artist Munch sensed an infinite scream passing through nature. I see an unsexed figure turned to the viewer, with their mouth wide open and hands placed on their cheeks. In the background, I also see two more figures facing the sunset. Measuring at approximately 91cm high by 73.5cm wide and constructed from oil, tempera, pastel and crayon on cardboard.

The monster-like figure was painted with constantly sick colors: dull yellows, blues, and purples. Dark and light accents painted over the top hint at the "screaming" expression of the figure. Munch uses the elements of art well by giving it a rough texture and using lots of lines. The focus of The Scream is the face of an unsexed figure turned to the viewer, with a wide mouth and hands placed on its cheeks. Behind the black-clothed figure, an orange and red sky hangs over the (wide view of a nature scene/wide area of beautiful land). In the background, two added/more figures stand facing the sunset.

According to Munch himself, ‘The Scream’ was a picture he painted to represent his soul. Munch explained that he painted a moment of existential crisis. He was walking down a road similar to the one in the painting, while the sun was setting, creating a beautiful, vibrant background. Munch used a mixture of media in his works of art. ‘The Scream’ painting’s type of expressionism is Proto-Expressionism.  Proto Expressionism refers to “Reacting against a realistic impression, using thick paint, experimenting with expressive lines, color and expressions.  

'The Scream' was not a moment of panic. It represents the troubled times Munch was going through as he dealt with mental illness and serious physical or emotional harm. His attempt to give reasons for something and explain his experience through what he knew best; painting.