23 August 2004


"The Scream is not only Edvard Munch's most famous work, it is also his most stolen. A different version of The Scream (having more than one version helps) was purloined in 1994 during the Winter Olympics, and recovered after 3 months. This fact -- that The Scream is forever being stolen -- has added a new layer of meaning to the original. The sickly fear, the angst which radiates out from the ghoulish face of the screamer, is now shot through with the uncertainty that at any moment the canvas might be wrenched from the wall and shoved in the boot of an Audi. The scream is as much a cry of help as a cry of anguish. The strange stretched lips twist to form the plaintive words: "Please stop stealing me" -- but in the empty eyes you can see the dreadful certainty that the theft will take place." - London News review



( via )