# A minor rant about Munch's "The Scream" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 25, 2004, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418 "2004-08-25T10:36:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418/41 "2004-08-25T18:22:46Z")
Hell, you think you’re lowbrow, I, personally, have always thought that this was just a bad painting. Now before I get pounced by the art folk let me say that I’ve taken many Humanities and Art Appreciation classes and I understand the reasons why this is supposed to be a great painting. Still, call them as you see them, this one does nothing for me. Same with that stupid Van Gogh one with the giant bed in it. They’re just not good paintings. ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418/42 "2004-08-25T21:03:45Z")
> [@Trigonal Planar](#): > > Perhaps I am incorrect but isn’t The Scream only one painting out of a collection of paintings\* that tell the story of his happiness, then subsequent depression after breaking up with a girlfriend? > > I heard this on a Munch documentary once. > > (I know there are also different versions of the The Scream, but I am talking about actual different paintings) Actually, it’s not “only one” because he painted several versions of The Scream. > [@](#): > > Munch painted several versions of his famous 1893 work. > > Another version of the painting - considered to be the most significant one - was stolen from the Norwegian National Gallery in 1994 as the Winter Olympic Games began in Lillehammer, Norway. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3588282.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3588282.stm) ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418/43 "2004-08-25T21:14:10Z")
> [@theR](#): > > Actually, it’s not “only one” because he painted several versions of The Scream. > > [BBC NEWS | Europe | Scream stolen from Norway museum](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3588282.stm) Did you miss the part where he said “(I know there are also different versions of the The Scream, but I am talking about actual different paintings)”? ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418/44 "2004-08-26T02:14:33Z")
**ART IS SUBJECTIVE**. Learn it. Live it. Love it. There is no “correct answer” to the character or meaning of a given piece of art. The creator’s intentions are one interpretation; the viewer’s impressions are another. If you believe the figure in The Scream is screaming, then for you, he is. If you believe he is merely expressing shock and horror at the scream he detects in the universe, then for you, that is what he is doing. If you believe he forgot to wear pants, and is displaying embarrasment at the fact that his oddly-shaped, wavy ding-dong is flappin’ in the breeze, then for you, that is what the painting depicts. It’s a personal thing. YMMV, and you’re no more right or wrong than I am. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418/45 "2004-08-26T02:23:15Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > I’m guessing he perceived nature’s affirmation of man’s eventual mortality resonating through time to eventually be heard by all. Whoa. That’s, like, _deep_. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418/46 "2004-08-26T13:00:51Z")
> [@threemae](#): > > Funny, and I thought that this thread was going to be about the fact that two thugs got just walked in, kicked the unarmed guard, pulled the painting off the wall (no alarm), no one follwed them, and that it took the cops 15 minutes to show up after one of the most significant paintings of the turn of the century was stolen. I realize that Oslow society may not be exactly like American society… > > Anyway. No, but I was thinking of ranting about the people who think it’s A Bad Thing that the museum didn’t have armed guards, sniper nests, [Dr Evil]killer sharks, frickin’ laser beams[/Dr Evil] and so on. For fuck’s sake - if people want to steal a painting, it’s not worth people getting shot over. And yes, I appreciate that art is subjective. But I used to think the guy was screaming too, until some art wonk put me straight in a snippy manner. And he who is snipped at gets snippy on the next guy. So there. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418/47 "2004-08-26T13:32:46Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > No, but I was thinking of ranting about the people who think it’s A Bad Thing that the museum didn’t have armed guards, sniper nests, [Dr Evil]killer sharks, frickin’ laser beams[/Dr Evil] and so on. For fuck’s sake - if people want to steal a painting, it’s not worth people getting shot over. No? I would say it is most _definitely_ worth shooting people over. To steal a culturally significant item from public display is to rape the world’s patrimony. One can argue about whether, for example, the Elgin marbles should be in the British Museum or in Athens (I prefer the latter), but in either case the public will be able to see them. But theft from public view is, I believe, a crime of the first degree. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418/48 "2004-08-26T13:45:18Z")
> [@OxyMoron](#): > > No? I would say it is most _definitely_ worth shooting people over. To steal a culturally significant item from public display is to rape the world’s patrimony. Huh? Yes, it’s a terrible crime, but come on. On th one hand we’re talking about a painting, and on the other hand we’re talking about **human life**. I for one don’t want to run the risk of getting caught in the crossfire next time I pop along to the V&A. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418/49 "2004-08-26T13:46:02Z")
> [@Roland Orzabal](#): > > **ART IS SUBJECTIVE**. > > Learn it. Live it. Love it. There is no “correct answer” to the character or meaning of a given piece of art. The creator’s intentions are one interpretation; the viewer’s impressions are another. If you believe the figure in The Scream is screaming, then for you, he is. If you believe he is merely expressing shock and horror at the scream he detects in the universe, then for you, that is what he is doing. If you believe he forgot to wear pants, and is displaying embarrasment at the fact that his oddly-shaped, wavy ding-dong is flappin’ in the breeze, then for you, that is what the painting depicts. > > It’s a personal thing. YMMV, and you’re no more right or wrong than I am. I sort of like this approach; if artists can talk bollocks about their stuff with impunity (and they do, although not specifically _this_ artist), why can’t everyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418/50 "2004-08-26T15:50:18Z")
> [@theR](#): > > Actually, it’s not “only one” because he painted several versions of The Scream. > > [BBC NEWS | Europe | Scream stolen from Norway museum](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3588282.stm) Ahem, “(I know there are also different versions of the The Scream, but I am talking about actual different paintings)” ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418/51 "2004-08-26T16:37:39Z")
Don’t care. Don’t care what it represents, or who thinks it’s a masterpiece. It’s hideous and I can’t imagine why anyone would want it on their wall, far less value it as worth millions or steal it. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418/52 "2004-08-27T02:25:29Z")
Maybe you’d like to see this (scroll down) [The scream](http://www.cagle.com/politicalcartoons/PCcartoons/PCbest2.asp) [The scream](http://www.cagle.com/politicalcartoons/) ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418/53 "2004-08-27T07:45:53Z")
This thread has been highly informative, and very thought provoking. And funny. My previous knowledge of art was gleaned from: SoYouWanna Fake An Appreciation For Art [http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/fakeart/fakeart.html](http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/fakeart/fakeart.html) * * * **Moderator’s Notes:** I added a warning in the previous post because I got a GWB mooning me when I opened the second link. Since the page is updated daily with new cartoons, that’s likely to change, but I added a caution in any case. * * * ---
**Author:** ![thursday\_next](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@thursday\_next](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thursday_next)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418/54 "2004-08-30T08:10:27Z")
According to [this link](http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/lit-med/lit-med-db/webdocs/webart/munch5-art-.html), yes, it was part of a series. > [@](#): > > This last in a series of six paintings exhibited in Berlin in 1893 listed as a "Study for a Series Entitled ‘Love’ " (eventually to be incorporated into the “Frieze of Life” Series) ---
**Author:** ![Somnambulist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Somnambulist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Somnambulist)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418/55 "2004-08-30T14:20:00Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Hey, freedom of expression, okay? > > (Er, actually I needed some kind of spacing device because double spaces collapse to one and mess up the alignment :o ) It’s often the unintended, inadvertent details such as this that elevates good art to an ethereal, amaranthine greatness. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418/56 "2004-08-30T18:05:17Z")
Never realized Richard Belzer was involved with art. Way to go Munch! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-rant-about-munchs-the-scream/261418.md?page=2)