Scream

The Scream was painted in 1893 by Edvard Munch. When asked why he had been inspired to paint it Edvard responded that one evening he was walking at sunset with two of his friends when suddenly it seemed like “nature was screaming in (his) blood.” He admitted that for a few years he had almost gone mad and during the time he painted the scream he had been “stretched to the limits.” Although The Scream s terrifying I think it is popular because people can relate to it. Whenever a person is going through a personal crisis they see and feel their emotions in the things around them. When people split up with their girlfriend or boyfriend and they hear a break-up song on the radio they automatically relate. The Scream is the visual representation of pain and people automatically assume the subject of the picture is experiencing their pain or at least can relate to their pain in some ways. The bright reds and oranges clash with the dark browns and blues, creating a sense of conflict deep within the inner-self. The swirling and twirling of the sky and the river create a sense of panic and chaos and the screaming man seems to be the only one aware of nature’s madness.
. Whenever I look at it I always wonder why he is screaming. I try to turn away but I can't because The Scream, like any good horror movie, frightens me into wanting more. It radiates horror. The churning skies make me dizzy and I have to fight the urge to jump into the painting and pull the man back into reality, into sanity.