It's the most colorful of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch's four scream compositions and it's on show in London.
"The Scream" is for sale and is estimated to fetch a hammer price of 80 million US dollars at an upcoming auction in New York.
And Philip Hook, Sotheby's senior director says it's the most important work the auction house has handled. He says, "It's the beginning of man sort of looking in on himself as opposed to painting the outside of himself - i.e. nature and it is the ultimate first image of angst and anxiety. It's the alienation of modern man."
Three of the four scream paintings by Munch, created in the 1890s, are in museums and so the Sotheby's auction on May 2nd is one of the few opportunities to own the painting. Many in the art world consider "The Scream" one of the most recognizable paintings. And as testimony to its value, two of the three versions in museums have been stolen, and recovered. Hook says he's confident this version -- which hasn't been on public display since 1979 -- is well protected.
Hook says, "We're always concerned about the works of art that we sell and particularly so with this one because of its rarity and because of the sheer fame of the image. It has in the past been attractive to theft but we're confident we've got measures in place that will protect it." Works by Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali will also be up for grabs at Sotheby's in New York.
Reuters
