The Scream (copy)

 

Did you see The Scream sold at auction in New York for £120 million? The bidding was over in fifteen minutes. My versions are here: a big one is for sale at just £100,000 and the small one for £25,000. That’s a good bargain.

 

I’m sure everyone knows this painting by now even though its something an eight year old could accomplish. There were four versions done by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. I copied this version when I was about 25 and didn’t know the different in acrylics and oils.

 

The painting sold is one of four versions and the only one owned by private collectors; the other three paintings are in Norwegian museums.

 

When Hitler was in power paintings by Munch were declared degenerate by the Nazis and removed from the walls of galleries in Germany.  Thomas Olsen, who has just sold the painting, rescued 74 of Munch’s works from destruction by the Germans. He hid them in a barn until Norway was liberated in 1945.

 

A version of The Scream was stolen in 1994 when four men broke into the National Gallery in Norway and left a note saying, "Thanks for the poor security". A ransom of a million dollars was put forward but the gallery refused. A sting operation was set up and the painting was recovered undamaged. Another version of The Scream was stolen in 2004 when men with guns stole it from a m in Oslo. They stole two of Munch’s paintings and wanted £200,000 for their return.  In 2006 Norwegian police recovered both paintings. The Scream was moist and a little scratched and the other painting had been torn in a few places. Before being repaired they were exhibited for five days and thousands of people went to have a look. They probably took much more time repairing it than Munch took painting it.

 

This bit of footage shows http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTVlRzn-GOo