4.9/5
Edvard Munch and the Red Sky of 1893
A pale, skull-like figure stands on a bridge. Its hands clutch its face, and its mouth is wide open in a silent cry. Behind this figure, a swirling blue fjord—which is a narrow inlet of the sea—twists under a bright orange-red sky. Edvard Munch built this scene with heavy, visible strokes of paint.
We can see that the vibrant landscape seems to shake with an ambient, glowing light. No single light source casts a shadow here. Instead, a flat, high-contrast glow radiates from the fiery clouds. The steep diagonal of the wooden railing cuts sharply through the frame, separating the straight lines of the walkway from the undulating curves of nature.
This visual rhythm belongs to the highly regarded paintings in history, capturing a moment of sudden panic. It is a feeling Edvard Munch also explored in his haunting painting called Anxiety. The violent colors of the sky remain the most striking feature of this work.
The Pencil Inscription on the 1893 Painting
Edvard Munch created four main versions of The Scream —two painted and two in pastel—alongside several lithographs. [1] If you look closely at the bottom left of the original 1893 painted version, you can see a faint date. There is also a tiny, famous pencil inscription on the paint. Edvard Munch wrote it himself. [1]
Pigment analysis—which means checking the chemical makeup of the paint—confirmed that Edvard Munch used cadmium yellow, vermilion, ultramarine, and viridian. [1] These bright colors require careful recreation. Both painted versions of The Scream have been stolen from public museums and later recovered. [1] These events only added to the fame of the image.
In 2012, an 1895 pastel version of The Scream was sold at auction for approximately $120 million. [1] The sale took place at the Sotheby's Impressionist and Modern Art department. The buyer was the financier Leon Black. [1] While the original pastel costs millions, our hand-painted reproduction starts at just $350.
Selecting Your Edvard Munch Canvas for Your Home Wall
When you purchase the scream reproduction for your home, you are choosing a hand-painted oil painting. Our artists recreate this piece brushstroke-by-brushstroke on museum-grade linen canvas. This physical technique captures the heavy texture and energy of the original. We offer this vertical composition in seven sizes.
Our specifications table shows the Dimensions Image ratios for each of the seven listed sizes. If you need a scale that is not listed, you can order a custom physical size to match your wall exactly. We also offer other Expressionist oil paintings to match your space.
Hanging a painting like this transforms a room. The bold colors draw the eye immediately. You can pair it with other paintings by Edvard Munch, such as his bright and hopeful canvas, The Sun. Select your framing options above to start your order.
