‘The Scream’ is one of the world's most famous paintings. But what does it mean?

Can delving into the artist and his use of colour and form give us more insight into the arresting image?

Dec 12 is the birthday of the famous Norwegian painter Edvard Munch.

The Scream by Edvard Munch is one of the most famous art pieces in the world. This painting is widely celebrated for its vibrant expression of terror, anguish, and agitation. Like every other popular piece of art, it has attracted multiple interpretations, but one particular perspective seems most appropriate to me.

The background of the painting shows a swirling sea, a burning sky at dusk, and two men walking away from the frame. The focus of the painting, however, is the figure in the front, whose mouth is open as they cover their ears. The saturated hues of the painting almost make you feel as if you can hear the scream in your head.

Over three years, Munch actually painted four versions of The Scream.

The differences between them are all notable and interesting. Three of the central figures have visible pupils, for example, while the fourth does not. The men in the background in the second and third versions are in clearer focus. In the second, one of them seems to be looking out over the water, while in the third a man is leaning over the railing of the bridge. It almost looks as if he is depressed.

These differences can somewhat obscure the interpretation. But, if we take all the versions into account, an answer may present itself. The most popular interpretations of the painting suggest the screaming figure is a portrayal of an agonising existential crisis. The colours in the background, the vibrant crimson, the swirling landscape blended with the depressing green hint towards such a reading.

In all versions, the figure is screaming and appears in a ghostly pose. However, in subsequent versions of the painting, the curve of the figure becomes more and more pronounced, almost as if it is growing more fragile with time. In the final version from 1910, the figure’s hollow eyes are housed in a flimsy body. In contrast, the two men in the background are solid and sturdy. The contrast between these figures shows the difference in the psychological state between them.

From the stance of the body and the look in its eyes, it is clear that something is clearly, definitively wrong with the figure in the front. The sunken, hollow eyes seem to reflect their inner anguish and terror. The eyes seem like portals into their inner struggle.

But what can the struggle be about? The answer lies in the setting of the painting. Three colours dominate the background - the green of the ground, the blue of the sea, and the burning red sky. These saturated hues articulate the psychological state of the figure and clarify the reason behind the scream.

Green is often a colour associated with growth, freshness, and fertility. Sometimes it is also a depressing colour. Van Gogh often painted scenes tinged with the colour green to demonstrate the horrifying gloom of loneliness. The Night Café, for example, features green hues in the ceiling and the central pool table. Most of the figures feel disconnected, with many of them slumping over their tables. Even the man who stands upright does so on his own, his white clothes contrasting with the rest of the patrons.

A similar notion is at play in The Scream. Here too, the green represents the depressing loneliness the figure is dealing with. The blue of the sea represents melancholia. The burning red of the sky is the panic of the screaming figure.

Munch himself said as much. On one of the paintings, he had engraved:

“I was walking along the road with two friends. The Sun was setting –

The Sky turned a bloody red

And I felt a whiff of Melancholy – I stood

Still, deathly tired – over the blue-black

Fjord and City hung Blood and Tongues of Fire

My Friends walked on – I remained behind

– shivering with Anxiety – I felt the great Scream in Nature”

Munch painted The Scream at a time when he was struggling with mental illness. The painting is a manifestation of those troubled days. The anxiety of that time gains a voice in the silent scream of this painting.

Many of us have, at some point in our lives, found ourselves caught in a dusk where the sky was smeared with vermilion and our hearts ached with a sudden sadness. Maybe you have felt a sudden existential panic on a normal walk or felt excruciatingly alone even among friends. Perhaps you too have felt that inner scream that you smothered and kept hidden from the world. Munch felt the same way, but instead of vocalising his experience aloud, he expressed his mental state on canvas for us to see.

This article is a preview of arts coverage at Stripe, bdnews24.com’s page on society and culture from a youth perspective. Stripe is set to launch soon.