Name
Professor
Course
Date
Critical Analysis of The Scream
Introduction
The practice of sketching and drawing has been part of humanity for quite a while. It has been a vital ingredient of Art throughout history and in the contemporary works of Art. Drawing is a technique or the Art of using lines to represent an object, outlining plan, a figure, or sketch. Drawing and sketching are proof of the fact that an artist is continually feeling or thinking about something, and therefore, they chose to draw to pass the message to the audience. The patterns, the colors, and the story they portray are of importance not only to the artist’s growth but also to audiences. As such, this article displays a critical analysis of a drawing by Edward Munch, the Scream. It reveals how this picture was used to pass a message to its audience and how critical thinking is useful in furthering the artist’s goal.
The Scream
The Scream (Skri in Norwegian and Der Schrei der Natur, which translates to “Shriek” and “The Scream of Nature” respectively in English versions) has sometimes been called The Cry. It is a composition by Edward Munch (1863-1944) and is currently owned by the National Gallery and the Munich Museum, Oslo, Norway. Even though there is no clear evidence of the presence of sketches for The Scream, the expressionist created four versions of the drawing: a lithograph stone, paint, and pastels. The paint is based on oil, crayon, pastel, and tempera with a dimension of 91 cm by 73.5 cm. The district rendition reveals the creativity of the artist and his/ her interest in trying out the possibilities provided by the diverse media. However, the subject matter fitted within Munch’s interest in the time in themes of life, death, bread, and relationships (Prideaux)
For all its notably, the drawing is surprisingly straightforward. Munch utilized the minimum of forms to achieve maximum expressiveness. The ScreamScream constitutes three main parts: the sky, which is represented by curving lines in tones of red, yellow, blue, green and orange; the bridge, which extends from the middle distance at the left at a steep angle to fill the foreground; a landscape with a shoreline, fjord or a lake and hills. The drawing represents a landscape of the town and the hills beyond. In the left part of the background are two strolling human figures. In the foreground, there is a human figure with both hands held to its head and a wide-open mouth in a silent scream (Munch).
The figure displays an agonized expression against a landscape with a tumultuous orange sky. The background and the foreground blends into each other, and the lyrical lines representing the hills ripple through the multicolored sky. A closer look at the drawing reveals a separation between the landscape and the stark human figures by the bridge, whose strict linear pattern contrasts sharply with the shapes of the sky and the landscape. The lines that shape the body of the human shape in the foreground are dominantly curving like the shapes that form the background landscape. Contrarily, the two upright faceless human figures in the background are geometrically aligned to the bridge.
Munch used swirling lines and distorted forms in his drawing to symbolize the surrounding nature. On the other hand, rigid lines and shapes are used on the bridge, the distant boat, and the two other figures on the left-hand side. These variations are a representation of the contrast between civilization being forced upon nature. Zizek argues that the central figure appears more distorted that the two distant figures. While the central figure comprises a curving body, elongated hands, and primitive facial features, the two distant figures appear abstract and straightforward. This presentation alienates the central figure. Colors are used in this drawing primarily to convey drama and emotion.
Munch pushed the colors in the direction of his idea and not to represent reality. The drawing represents a powerful contrast between the exaggerated oranges and reds representing the sunset in the background and the dull greens, grays, purples, and blues used for other remaining figures of the drawing (Olson). This color contrast reveals the drama of the ghoulish figure on the bridge and the intensity of the “blood red” sunset, both of which though extreme, complement each other effectively to pass the intended message. The fact that this figure was not painted in any sense of reality suggests that this was a representation of Munch’s tormented mind (Azeem).
Motivation and Purpose
Munch intended to represent the plight of humans in the natural human realm through the screaming figures. An extract forms his published notebook (Appendix 2) reveals his probable inspiration for this scene. The notebook extract reveals that the human figures on the bridge could be a representation of munch and his two friends. The extract could also represent Munch himself, feeling the cry of nature: an internal sound that is not heard through the ears. Munch, therefore, chose to represent this internal sensation through a drawing. This approach to the experience of the union of senses (synesthesia) culminated in a visual representation of emotion and sound. He proves the phrase that “one can smell music and taste colors” are fronted by synesthesia.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the paper demonstrates that the ScreamScream is a work of remembered sensation rather than perceived reality, and its impact on the viewers does not necessarily depend on their familiarity with a precise list of naturalistic, historical, or formal sources. Rather much though critical thinking was able to display synesthesia to represent internal emotions through external forms and thereby offering a visual capture for a universal experience of the humankind. As such, Munch, through his drawing of the Scream, represented the critical works for the Expressionist movement and as a vital inspiration for the Symbolist movement of the early twentieth century by confronting the questions concerning nature of subjectivity and the visual representation therein. This assertion is well represented in Munch’s notebook (Appendix 3). Indeed, as described by Arthur Lebow, the ScreamScream is an icon of modern Art, a Monalisa of our time.
Works Cited
Azeem, Hina. “The art of Edvard Munch: a window onto a mind.” BJPsych Advances 21.1 (2015): 51-53.
Munch, Edvard, David H. Flood, and Rhonda L. Soricelli. The ScreamScream. Wizard & Genius, Idealdecor, 1994.
Olson, Donald W., Russell L. Doescher, and Marilynn S. Olson. “When the Sky Ran Red: The Story Behind the” Scream.” (2004).
Prideaux, Sue. Edvard Munch: Behind the ScreamScream. Yale University Press, 2007.
Zizek, Slavoj. “Grimaces of the real, or when the phallus appears.” October 58.1 (1991): 45-68.
Appendices
Appendix 1: The Scream
Drawing: The Scream
Artist: Edward Munch
Year: 1893
Type: tempera, oil, crayon, and pastel on carbon board
Dimension: 36inches by 28.9 inches
Location: Munich Museum and National Gallery, Oslo, Norway
Appendix 2: Munch’s notebook entry dated January 22, 1892, and written in Nice
Appendix 3: Munch’s notebook entry on subjective vision written in 1889,