Why Didn't Edvard Munch's Other Works Gain Mass Recognition Outside of the Art World?
Edvard Munch is one of the most famous names in the art world thanks to The Scream, an iconic piece that fetched the fourth-highest price paid for a piece of artwork at a public auction. The Norwegian painter is known for other notable works in the artistic community, but none of these enjoyed the same commercial success as his 1893 piece. Some of the lesser-known works could potentially find success if they were to be promoted to modern audiences, as they may even be more relevant today than they were when they were painted.
The Scream
By far the best-known work by Munch is known in mainstream culture as The Scream. The artist himself actually named it Der Schrei der Nature in German, which would translate to The Scream of Nature in English. In Norwegian, the painting is called Skrik, which means shriek in English.
The expressionist painting is instantly recognizable, and is best known for the ghostly figure in the foreground. The strange creature seems to be screaming, with its hands clutching the sides of its face. In the background, the dazzling shades of the setting sunlight among the clouds look incredible over the swirling blue waters of the fjord.
This legendary painting managed to gain mass attention thanks to the various ways it was used in popular culture. In the early 1980s, for instance, contemporary artist Andy Warhol made some silkscreen prints on which he imitated some of Munchs most famous works.
More recently, the Ghostface mask in the slasher movie franchise, Scream, was heavily influenced by Munchs painting. It was originally designed by Brigitte Sleiertin as a Halloween costume. The Scream producer, Marianne Maddalena, along with the creator and director, Wes Craven, discovered the mask and realized it was the perfect fit for their silver screen offerings. There have been four Scream movies to date, meaning that a lot of people have had the chance to see the Munch-inspired mask.
Madonna While The Scream may continue to be the best-known work of Munchs career, there were a couple of others that could be considered among the most famous pieces ever painted. One of these was the 1895 piece which is commonly referred to as Madonna. This stunning painting depicts a naked woman surrounded by swirling colors.
On a visual level, Madonna is one of Munchs most defined works. And on a deeper level, there is so much potential for interpretation. There are various theories about what the artist had in mind when creating the piece, with one common idea being that it is about the Virgin Mary.
Lesser-Known But Timeless Works Many of Munchs other works are revered in the art world still, but few have broken out into mainstream culture in the same way as his most iconic pieces. However, most of them are considered to be timeless and could easily appeal to modern eyes.
An example of one piece that would go down well with todays audiences is the 1892 offering, At the Roulette Table in Monte Carlo. The painting depicts a bustling casino environment with a group of players crowding around the little wheel.
This scenario occurs on a regular basis still today, with the only difference being that it is more common in an online setting, illustrating the timelessness of Munch's work, and the evolution of entertainment itself. For example, bonusy bez depozytu multiple players to play the same game at the same time. Although the players cant actually see one another, it still acts as a virtual representation of Munchs work in many senses, which is interesting to reflect on when considering the age that has happened between both occurrences. With so many people enjoying the game all over the world, it is rather surprising that the painting by Munch isnt better known, though perhaps humbling that his work will continue to age alongside the evolving industry.
It seems that the key for Munchs paintings gaining mainstream attention has been their usage by others later on. Warhol and Craven both played big roles in popularizing The Scream, and Madonna perhaps earned notoriety because of its religious connotations. With the online casino flourishing now, it could be a great time to get more eyes on Munchs roulette-inspired piece.