Oslo is a city of fjords, forests, and fantastic art — and at its creative heart lies the Munch Museum, home to the haunting genius of Norway’s most iconic artist, Edvard Munch. My next stop for today.
More Than Just The Scream
We all know The Scream — that ghostly figure frozen in a moment of existential terror. But did you know Munch didn’t create just one version?
At the Munch Museum, I learned that The Scream is actually part of a series of works — drawings, lithographs, and paintings — all exploring the same raw emotion. Munch revisited the theme over and over, experimenting with form, color, and mood. It’s not just a painting; it’s a lifelong emotional study.
Munch’s Obsession with Reproduction
One of the most fascinating aspects of the exhibition was Munch’s dedication to reprinting and image transfer. He wasn’t just a painter — he was a printmaker, constantly experimenting with how to reproduce his works in new ways. He worked with woodcuts, lithographs, and etchings, and he often reused motifs across mediums and years.
Munch’s attitude toward reproduction was unusual for his time. While many artists guarded the uniqueness of their works, Munch was deeply interested in the power of repetition, believing each variation could evoke new emotion.
The Power of Pastel
Another surprising discovery? Munch was a master of pastels — a medium often underestimated. Some of his most intense works, including versions of The Scream, were created with pastels, which allowed him to blend vivid colors and create eerie, fog-like textures that painting alone couldn’t achieve.
Standing in front of these pastel works, you feel their immediacy — the strokes feel raw and close, like emotional fingerprints.
Who Was Edvard Munch?
Born in 1863 in Løten, Norway, Edvard Munch lived a life marked by illness, tragedy, and introspection — themes that bled into his art.
- He lost his mother at age 5 and his sister at 14 — both to tuberculosis.
- These early traumas led him to believe that “illness, madness, and death” were the unavoidable themes of life.
- Munch never married and often lived in isolation, but he was deeply philosophical and highly modern in his approach to emotion in art.
- He’s considered a forerunner of Expressionism, paving the way for artists like Egon Schiele and German Expressionists.
Strange & Curious Facts
- Munch was obsessed with repetition — he often painted the same subject over decades, changing its meaning with each version.
- In 1904, he painted The Death of Marat after a violent breakup, using his own blood to finish part of the piece.
- He once got into a gunfight with a lover -Tulla Larsen, a wealthy art patron and socialite. Their relationship was intense but fraught with jealousy, arguments, and emotional turmoil. In 1906, after a fierce argument, Tulla pulled out a pistol and shot Munch in the hand.
- During World War II, the Nazis labeled his work “degenerate art” and removed it from German museums — but Munch had already become a national treasure in Norway.
- Before his death in 1944, he donated over 28,000 artworks to the city of Oslo — forming the foundation of today’s Munch Museum.
- In 1994, the version housed at the National Gallery was stolen on the same day as the Lillehammer Winter Olympics opened. The thieves broke in through a window, left a note saying “Thanks for the poor security,” and escaped with the painting. It was recovered a few months later.
- Then in 2004, another version of The Scream, along with Madonna, was brazenly stolen at gunpoint from the Munch Museum itself. In front of shocked visitors, masked men ripped the paintings off the wall and fled in a car. That version was recovered in 2006, slightly damaged but restorable.
The Munch Museum in Oslo is more than an art gallery — it’s a journey into the mind of one of history’s most emotionally honest artists. You walk away not just knowing Munch’s art, but feeling it — the pain, the love, the anxiety, the fleeting joys.
Whether you’re a casual traveler or a lifelong art lover, the museum is a must-visit — not just for The Scream, but for the human story behind it.
If You Go:
Location: Munch Museum, Bjørvika, Oslo, Norway
Plan for: 1-2 hours
Tip: Get the audio guide — Munch’s letters and quotes bring the rooms to life
