$119,922,500: Iconic Painting ‘The Scream’ Becomes Most Expensive Artwork Ever Sold at Auction
- Posted on May 3, 2012 at 7:14am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
- Print »
- Email »
Edvard Munch's 'The Scream' is seen as it is hung for display at Sotheby's Auction Rooms in London, Thursday, April 12, 2012. The picture made with pastels is one of four versions of the composition, and dates from 1895, it will be auctioned in the Impressionist and Modern Art Sale in New York on May 2, with an estimated price of 80 million dollars. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
NEW YORK (AP) — It‘s a scream that’s still reverberating around the world.
One of the most iconic images in art history – Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” – has become the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction.
During an intense 12 minutes, the 1895 artwork – a modern symbol of human anxiety – was sold at Sotheby’s in New York City on Wednesday for a record $119,922,500. Neither the buyer’s name nor any details about the buyer was released.
The previous record for an artwork sold at auction was $106.5 million for Picasso’s “Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust,” sold by Christie’s in 2010.
Munch’s image of a man holding his head and screaming under a streaked, blood-red sky is one of four versions by the Norwegian expressionist painter. The auctioned piece at Sotheby’s is the only one left in private hands.
The image has become part of pop culture, “used by everyone from Warhol to Hollywood to cartoons to teacups and T-shirts,” said Michael Frahm of the London-based art advisory service firm Frahm Ltd. “Together with the Mona Lisa, it’s the most famous and recognized image in art history.”
“As popular culture, it provides an analogy for both individual and collective experiences of, variously, loss, pain, grief, modernity, nature gone awry, the body out of control, and Existential struggle,” said Patricia Berman, chair of the art department at Wellesley College and a director of the Edvard Munch Research Institute in Oslo.
A buzz swept through the room when the artwork was presented for auction as two guards stood watch on either side. Bidding started at $40 million with seven buyers jumping into the competition early.
The battle eventually boiled down to two phone bidders as the historic hammer price was finally achieved after more than 12 minutes. The record price includes the auction house’s fee.
(AP)
Sotheby’s said the pastel-on-board version of “The Scream” is the most colorful and vibrant of the four and the only version whose frame was hand-painted by the artist to include his poem, detailing the work’s inspiration.
In the poem, Munch described himself “shivering with anxiety” and said he felt “the great scream in nature.”
Norwegian businessman Petter Olsen, whose father was a friend and patron of the artist, said he sold the piece through Sotheby’s because he felt “the moment has come to offer the rest of the world the chance to own and appreciate this remarkable work.”
“I have lived with this work all my life, and its power and energy have only increased with time,” Olsen said.
Proceeds from the sale will go toward the establishment of a new museum, art center and hotel in Hvitsten, Norway, where Olsen’s father and Munch were neighbors.
A total of nine works now have sold for $80 million or more at auction, according to Sotheby’s.
Besides “The Scream” and Picasso’s “Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust,” only two other works have sold for more than $100 million at auction. Those are Picasso’s “Boy With a Pipe (The Young Apprentice)” for $104.1 million in 2004 and Alberto Giacometti’s “Walking Man I” for $104.3 million in 2010.
Popular Stories
MSNBC Host Snaps in Heated Segment: ‘What in the World Is Riskier Than Being a Poor Person in America?’ 677 Comments
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 624 Comments
‘Jumah at the DNC’ Speaker: ‘Muslims Visited America Prior to Columbus’ & ‘It Was a Muslim’ Who Guided Him to the ‘New World’ 522 Comments
Obama: RNC Like Watching ‘Black-and-White TV’ Because Romney ‘Did Not Offer a Single New Idea’ 360 Comments
Have You Seen the Giant ‘Sand Obama’ Sculpture in Charlotte? 309 Comments
Faith
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 110 Comments- Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More
- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 171 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 146 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 300 Comments
Scathing New Ad Capitalizes on Rep. Ryan‘s ’Fading Obama Posters’ Remark 124 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 110 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (52)
SavvyCowboy
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 2:50pmI appears LSD was available way back in 1895. I wonder if Timothy Leary’s maternal family name is Munch??
Report Post »ColoradoMaverick
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 2:28pm119 million dollars? God, how does anyone that stupid ever get 119 million dollars. This is art? It looks like a kindergarden project done in crayons. I’ll take a Tim Cox or Remmington painting any day of the week, but nothing for 119 million dollars.
Report Post »I hope it gets destroyed in a fire!
Gorp
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 4:50pmThat’s what I was thinking too. It looks like a 6 year old did it with crayons.
Report Post »KyleD
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 6:00pmI challenge you to copy it. I doubt you’d come close, let alone create something of your own. It’s actually very good, even if you don’t like it.
Report Post »Sharlene
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 2:20pmAwful, AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 2:14pmDid someone say: “Obama”?
Report Post »coachlips
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 1:15pmI could’ve drawn that with a box of 16 Crayola Crayons. Someone spent $120M unwisely. Maybe BHO should hire them to help with the budget.
Report Post »nobull14
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 12:50pmBoy did they get Ripped off on that third grade school art project ? what did Barnum say there’s a sucker born every minute !!!!!!!!!
Report Post »perry1980
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 12:14pmTalk about Over paying for something.
Report Post »The Liberal Elite believe Art has value
I believe in Family Values
Red1492
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 10:05amI realize art is subjective but my 3 year old paints better than that.
Report Post »BeingThere
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 11:00amSo does my 8 year old :-)
Report Post »johnjamison
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 11:58amExactly 120 mil for what looks like something you could do with crayons…..A FOOL AND HIS MONEY
Report Post »mils
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 12:13pmsubjective?…it’s trash…such an abundance of funds that could do so much…for a crayon drawing of me after a day with all the grandkids…
Report Post »Paralleluniverse
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 10:05amI can relate. This is me if Obama gets four more years.
Report Post »boomboom
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 10:41amThis is proof that :
“Bad Taste Costs No More”.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 10:05amActually this painting is a rather apt depiction of the world today and American for the last 3 1/2 years under the Obama Administration . Ugly. Nightmare.
Report Post »trueamerican40
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 9:53amIt is one of the ugliest paintings out there. All you need are magic markers and a cup of Starbucks and your 98% there.
Report Post »moreteaplease
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 9:46amLooks like Nancy Pelosi getting surprised by a gust of wind. I always did think her hair looked too manicured.
Report Post »janedough1
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 9:45amThe Scream has not become more valuable. The money has become worthless. Give it a few more years, and you’ll see a loaf of bread costing this much.
Report Post »moreteaplease
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 9:42am“As popular culture, it provides an analogy for both individual and collective experiences of, variously, loss, pain, grief, modernity, nature gone awry, the body out of control, and Existential struggle,” said Patricia Berman, chair of the art department at Wellesley College and a director of the Edvard Munch Research Institute in Oslo.
Report Post »—————————————-
It would be kind of funny if we found out that Munch just did a drawing of someone yelling for their dog?
moreteaplease
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 9:25amI guess Crayola crayons have been around longer than I thought.
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 9:16ammy child did “art” like this in kindergarten who knew all I had to do was put it up for auction….fools and their money
Report Post »Wigidy
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 9:07amHeck, I have some nephews or nieces that could have drawn this for the buyer and saved them a $120 million. I will never understand what certain people see in art that just about any 10 or less year old could do.
Report Post »mrsmileyface
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 9:00amI wonder if the buyer complains that he/she’s not paying enough in taxes?
Report Post »Baikonur
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 8:35amThe Blazers like their art and culture in general the same way they like their food–no nutritional or thought value, but cheap and slides down the gullet easily.
Report Post »ohyaok
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 8:57amBoo Hoo, I feel so bad for you. Why the emotional attachment to this story? Struggling artist with no talent that wants to sell crappy art for lots of money too? Go yell up the stairs to mom and ask whats for breakfast.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 9:02amBaikinour,
Report Post »Wow, and lib socialists are so much more in tune to art and education and all things progressive ….they can sit back and drink the finest wines in they’re Al gore and Buffet sized mansions, just as soon as they have everybody on foodstamps, welfare and living in soviet style govt housing…. Ahhhh yes, it’s good to be an Ivy league lefty……cuz they know what’s best for the rest of us…..
barber2
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 9:09amWhy do you hang around here ? Guess you are so angry ( loves to scream ? ) and so insecure that your fragile ego needs a shot of superiority to feed your fragile ego. Have a nice day. Preferably, somewhere else.
Report Post »Bob_R_OathKeeper
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 9:24amBaikonur, you’re like the type of guy who would hang out in a public restroom all day and complain about the smell of crap.
Report Post »topperj
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 10:25amLet me guess, Piss Christ is your idea of high art?
Report Post »Captain Crunch
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 10:53am@Baikonur
You do know don’t you that they make drugs to help with your problem?
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 8:08amFools and their money are soon departed…….
Report Post »disenlightened
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 7:36amridiculous…liberals should be outraged
Report Post »Baikonur
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 8:17amI’ll bite, why should liberals be outraged? I thought all art beyond the hack zone of the diabetes inducing ‘light’ painter who recently drank himself dead and the hack who makes pictures of Obama stepping on the ConNDINGstitution was the extent of your understanding/appreciation of art.
Report Post »ohyaok
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 8:38amThis is where the Buffet tax should come into play. Three times what they spent on that crayon scribble.
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 7:33amNot big on this type of art, so not impressed and keep hearing my Mom“fools and their money are soon parted”. I like uplifting art that makes me glad I’m alive. I like noble art that makes a better person. I like art that inspires me. I hate art where I ask “they say it’s worth what”?
Report Post »Baikonur
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 8:11amYou mean like that hack painter who recently passed away in his early 50′s from alcohol poisoning?
Report Post »Red1492
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 10:22amThomas Kinkade is loathed and despised by so called “real” artists (aka psuedo intellectual wannabe with suicidal tendencies) because he was a success. AND he was alive while achieving this success. His art appealed to many. In the pretentious, sanctimonious and disingenuous world of art, to be a success among the masses is a no no. How dare the many unwashed mouth breathers be allowed to define their own ideals of what is appealing. Oh no. Only the anorexic elite can shellac a turd, sprinkle it with lima beans and deem it “art”. The very fact that the art world elite eat this up, is very telling.
Report Post »blanco5
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 7:32amMan, people are stupid!
Report Post »cassandra
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 7:29amsorry but the painting looks like something a 10 yr old could paint,
Report Post »Baikonur
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 8:32amBut not a 10 year related to you :)
Report Post »blanco5
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 9:32ambakinor—some relations would have done a better job! You ARE a lefty after all, so spending money (usually other people’s) on useless crap is your specialty.
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on May 3, 2012 at 7:29amsomeone is squirreling away some money before inflation devalues their “ nest egg”
Report Post »