The Scream brings one comfort.

 

The Scream by Edvard Munch 

1893,  Oil, tempera, & pastel on cardboard, 91 x 73.5 cm

National Gallery : Oslo, Norway

This painting has been haunting me for the last few months and was surprised to find that I have never featured it in my blog, as it is such a timeless image. I have often heard The Scream being compared to other timeless images such as the Mona Lisa or a popular Picasso in reference to the image being a staple of art culture, but in all honesty, you just can't compare Munch with any other artist.

It would be hard to try and explain Edvard Munch within in the length constraints I would like to keep of my blog posts. He is one of those artists’ that can't be understood in a few adjectives or cleverly complied sentences; the best way to describe him would be to say well, he is Edvard Munch. But if I must, I will simply say that Munch was complex and simple, disturbed and perfectly peaceful, along with (insert appropriate oxymoron).

So, if Munch is so hard to explain, how on earth should I explain The Scream? Well, what makes this image so popular is because it is relatable to anyone and everyone. We have all had those minutes, days, weeks, and months where we feel as if the only word to describe our life is uncertain and in modern culture uncertainty is almost always followed by anxiety. We want to know what our life holds and more importantly, we want to be in control. When our control is taken from us, for even just a second, we panic and we may even scream.

This scream, panic, anxiety, and uncertainty is what makes Edvard Munch's The Scream so striking. Munch was able to capture a common emotion and make it visual and in doing so the rest of the world grabs hold to his image and cherishes it. Why? Because The Scream helps you feel and know that you are not the only person in the world that feels what you feel and in this you receive comfort.

Thus oddly enough, The Scream brings one comfort.