The world-famous painter
Edvard Munch

It’s been more than 125 years since Edvard Munch painted The Scream, but the pale human figure with the skull-shaped head and ovoid mouth still captivates people all over the world. The picture is an icon of modern art. It’s been named “the second most known picture in the art history”, after Mona Lisa. It even has its own emoji 😱.

Though The Scream might be better known than the artist himself, Munch is one of the most famous Norwegians of all time. The painter, who was born in Løten in 1863, was active for more than 60 years. Many of his works were influenced by existential themes such as anxiety, jealousy, and melancholy, which makes his art as relevant today as it was 125 years ago.

Norway’s capital also hosts the largest collection of works by Munch. The Munch Museum is the most comprehensive one-man museum in the world and holds more than half of the artist’s paintings. The collection includes famous works like The Scream, Madonna, The Dance of Life, Puberty, and The Sick Child. In 2020, the present Munch Museum will be replaced by an ultra-modern 13-story tall Munch universe in Bjørvika in Oslo with artwork from all different stages of his career, several exhibition areas, and workshops. The present museum will keep its doors open until the new museum opens.

The National Museum in Oslo contains several of Munch’s most significant artworks, like the earliest versions of The Scream, The Girls on the Bridge, The Brooch, and Melancholy. The museum is temporarily closed, and its Munch collection will be moved to the site of the brand new National Museum that will also open in 2021.