The mystery written on the expressionist painting of Edward Munch is solved
The National Museum of Norway concluded that the almost imperceptible but also unpleasant inscription of the famous work "The Scream" is written by himself artist Edvard Munch, announced today from the museum.
The small and barely visible sentence written on one of the world's most famous paintings was the cause of many assumptions in the art world.
"Only a madman could paint this" is written in pencil in the upper left corner of the artwork in Norwegian.
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The original painting, first shown in Munch's hometown of Oslo in 1893, has become a symbol of a radical and timeless expression of the anxiety and universal pain of modern man. His influence stretches from the 90's Hollywood horror series all the way to today's emojis.
The artwork was conserved as part of preparations for its placement in the new museum, which is set to open in the Norwegian capital next year.
Art critics have long debated whether this article was a vandalism, or was written by Munch himself, who has had mental health problems throughout his life.
The museum concluded that the words were written by Munch. They used special technology to analyze the manuscript and compare it with his diaries and letters.
In 1994, the work was stolen from the Norwegian Museum of Art and found in a daring covert operation led by British detectives.
"It is undoubtedly Munch's manuscript... The manuscript itself, as well as the events that took place in 1895, when Munch first showed the painting in Norway, point in the same direction," says Mai Museum curator Brit Guleng.
The work provoked strong reactions and criticism at the time, followed by public speculation about the mental state of expressionist artist Munch.
According to his diaries, Munch was deeply hurt by the public reaction and it is believed that he then added the words in pencil.