Edward Munch’s "Scream" sold for $ 120 million at Sotheby’s

One of the most recognizable drawings in the world - Edward Munch’s “Scream” was sold at auction in New York on Wednesday for a record $ 119,922,500.

The work, dated 1895 - a modern symbol of human fears and anxieties - was sold at Sotheby’s, the name of the buyer was not announced. The indicated price includes a buyer’s premium - an additional fee charged from buyers in favor of the auction house.

This is one of the four versions of The Scream created by a Norwegian expressionist; three more remain in Norwegian museums. This version - the only one in private ownership, was sold by the owner (now the previous one) - Norwegian businessman Petter Olsen, whose father was a friend and patron of the artist. The final price was $ 107 million, including a buyer’s premium of $ 119,922,500.

According to Sotheby’s experts, the previous auction price record for paintings was from Nude, Green Leaves and Bust by Pablo Picasso, which was sold to Christie in 2010 for $ 106.5 million, and the entire 100-million auction mark, except for “Scream” "And the aforementioned Picasso was also surpassed by the pictures - this is Picasso’s" The Boy with the Pipe ", for whom $ 104.1 million were paid in 2004 and Alberto Jacometti’s Walking Man I, sold for $ 104.3 million in 2010.

The “Scream” personifying anxiety, with the recognizable figure of a man holding his head against a blood-red sky, has become a part of modern pop culture, “this image was used by everyone, from Andy Warhol to Hollywood horror films, it can be seen on souvenir mugs, t-shirts and etc., ”said Michael Frum, a London consultant, in an interview with the Associated Press. “Together with Mona Lisa, these are two of the most recognizable paintings in the world, in the entire history of art,” he added.

When the work appeared on the scene of Sotheby’s, accompanied by two employees of the auction house - a small noise of admiration swept through the hall. Two participants made bets remotely by telephone. The auction began with a mark of $ 40 million, lasted only about 12 minutes and reached the final price in just 7 bids.

According to Sotheby’s, this work, done by pastel on the board, is the brightest and most saturated of all versions and the only one whose fields were painted by Munch, where he wrote his poem describing the inspiration that prompted him to create this picture. In this poem, Munk described himself as “trembling with anxiety” and said that he felt “a great cry in nature.”

The Norwegian businessman Petter Olsen, whose father was close friends with the artist, said he decided to sell this masterpiece because he felt that “the time has come to give the rest of the world the opportunity to possess and admire this wonderful work of art.” The proceeds from the auction will go to the founding of a new museum, art center and hotel in Witsten in Norway, where his father and Edward Munch were neighbors.

According to Odan Eckhof, director of the National Museum in Oslo, the Norwegian authorities supported the sale of this work, as three more versions remain in Norway, one in the National Museum and two in the Munch Museum, also in Oslo.

Auction video (amateur), uploaded to Youtube by chimpsnafu:

Video: pre-auction show in New York, RIA-Novosti: