On view in London for the first time ever, is Edvard Munch’s iconic The Scream. Only for a week though. So be quick!
Where?
Sotheby’s
34-35 New Bond Street
London W1A 2AA UK
Tel: +44 20 7293 5000
When?
13th April – 18th April 2012
How much?
Free
One of the best known images in both art history and popular culture, the work will be on exhibit in Sotheby’s New Bond Street galleries until 18 April. The masterwork will lead Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale on 2 May and is rumored to fetch around $80 million.
Andy Warhol’s own rendition of The Scream (The Scream (After Munch)) was also sold by the auction house in March of this year and was estimated at between £150,000 – £200,000, but sold for £313.250.
Undoubtedly one of the most iconic paintings of our times, it is the last remaining picture in the series of four that is still held privately. The other three images all being housed in Norwegian Museums. The Scream (Norwegian: Skrik) is a series of Expressionist paintings and prints created by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch between 1893 and 1910, showing an agonised figure against a red sky. The landscape in the background is the Oslofjord, viewed from Ekeberg, Oslo.
Edvard Munch created several versions of The Scream in various media. The National Gallery, Oslo holds one of two painted versions (1893, shown to right). The Munch Museum holds the other painted version (1910, see gallery) and one pastel. This particular version (1895), is in pastel and owned by Norwegian businessman Petter Olsen.
On February 12, 1994, the same day as the opening of the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, four men broke into the National Gallery and stole its version of The Scream, leaving a note reading “Thanks for the poor security”. After the gallery refused a ransom demand of US$1 million in March 1994, Norwegian police set up a sting operation with assistance from the British police and the Getty Museum, and the painting was recovered undamaged on May 7, 1994.
As it’s only showing for a week and this might be the last time the public may be able to get a glimpse of this particular edition, it is probably a good idea to get down to New Bond Street this weekend to sneak a peak.
