Edvard Munch - The Scream

            The Impressionist Movement hosts a plethora of paintings by Impressionist artists who hoped to capture moments in time in an exaggerated form of Realism. Their work was quick in order to succeed at this and make sure nothing of their subject matter would change over time. Due to the ambiguity of some of these paintings, they leave more for the viewer to interpret, allowing them evoke more emotion from them than many traditional academy paintings. One such painting, Edvard Munch’s The Scream, 1893, stirs up many emotions, but all towards the same general form; it conjures a sense of despair and anguish, as well as fear and eeriness.

            The composition itself shows the ghostly figure of a man in the foreground with his hands on his face, wide eyes and an open mouth (like the “Home Alone” cover). He is standing on a long bridge that disappears to the left, at the end of which are two other faint figures. The background consists of a red sky, horizon line, and a lake. Certain aspects of the painting are distorted, such as the sky, landscape to the right, and the main figure himself. This is a huge contributor to the strangeness of the painting.

            The colors Munch chose to use are earthy, but bright in places. The sky is a vibrant red, and having stated that is was like “blood” turns it from what could potentially be a beautiful sunset to a strange, uncanny setting. The blue tones of the lake and the landscape in the background make for a melancholy feel. A sense of helplessness is achieved with his palette, especially in the dull foreground and pale face of the ghostly figure.

            Munch’s loose brushstrokes and use of line are a large part of what makes this painting have the affect it does. His style gives the painting a twisted and aberrant look, because it is not the way we are used to seeing things. Even the foremost figure is twisted somewhat in his pose, making him abnormal, and therefore creepy. Also, the fact that he is up front and personal in the composition, kind of large in scale, yet still rather indistinct and hazy gives the viewer (me, at least) a confrontational and uncomfortable feel—almost like you are being bombarded with all of the glooms, miseries, sorrows, and pains that this man is enduring.

            Even the name leaves me with a vexatious feel, especially when coupled with the painting. Given the name, then looking at the piece, you can almost hear the scream that the ghostly figure is emitting. Munch did a spectacular job at creating an emotional and thought provoking work. It takes your mind on an uncomfortable trip to the sublime and back, and I love every moment of it.