Honestly, it was overrated, as a painting. Munch really didn't do anything that other expressionists of the time weren't doing and the Scream was the only one that really seemed to stand out because it was the only one that honestly was different from the rest -- regardless, it's still an overrated painting. What could have been the first in a long line of truly original-looking pieces proved itself to be a fluke.

Unfortunately, we all too often mistake flukes for greatness. We elevate flukes to an irrational level of esteem and for what?

In "Jesus' time", there were several hundred or so self-proclaimed messiahs running around, some even just assumed to be messiahs by their fellow man. Of course, we all know Jesus was a fluke cos apparently he seemed to get the followers so dedicated, that they not only wrote a book, but enforced it for generations after he died as "the truth."

Eventually, that plank of wood the Mona Lisa is painted on will crumble. What then? Blame the Louvre for not laminating it in formica?

Behold the good news on Yahoo!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060831/ts_nm/crime_art_scream_dc

Fantastic news! (Though, the theives should still be incinerated...)

I couldn't agree more the the notion. Though it would be fitting to let them live and just suffer the agony of dipping there hands in kerosene then setting them aflame till there is nothing left but crisp, crackling stumps of dead tissue!

I could always make them into art.

As an artist and as someone who appreciates items of value, I personally hope these bastards are nabbed and punished to the strictest degree for their crimes. Fucking wastrels.

It has always puzzled me how people can stoop that low and destroy something more valuable than themselves. We all know LaVey's take on it. It just boggles me. So much time and effort, and even life is given to great pieces of art and once it is lost, it is unreplaceable. Sometimes I feel crimes like these should result in capitol punishment.

I think this would be a more appropiate time for the finger screws to make a come back, along with the rope and block used to squeeze the head in slow and painfully until it eventually pops like a grape.

Indeed! It would be interesting to see some of your charred art in various poses, labelled appropriately!

I like that idea. At least then they would be of some use.


Hail Satan!

I was under the impression that Munch painted several versions of THE SCREAM as he did with many of his other works, that there were several in different collections rather than one that was "the" version of THE SCREAM.

Not as if that would vindicate anyone stealing or damaging any one of them.

>>I was under the impression that Munch painted several
>>versions of THE SCREAM

I've seen at least one color version plus (my personal favorite) the lithograph, but yes, I heard there were a couple of different versions of the colored painting too.

This isn't the first time one of the "Scream"s was stolen. Back in the early 90s I remember some anti-abortion group stole one of the paintings under the claim that they wouldn't give it back unless the short propaganda film "The Silent Scream" was aired on TV. The painting was recovered, though.

We could make them into couch cushions.

"The Ed Gein Memorial Furniture Collection."