Turns Out Munch Wasn't Painting a Scream, After All

"The Scream" by Edvard Munch is one of the most famous images in the history of art, and even has its own emoji.
If you thought the artwork showed a figure screaming, however, it turns out you may have misinterpreted Munch's work.
With "The Scream" Munch is recalling a personal memory of a spectacular sunset in Oslo which gave the sky and clouds a dramatic red hue, according to Giulia Bartrum, curator of a forthcoming exhibition devoted to the artist at the British Museum in London.
"The blood-red sky had the effect of making him feel hugely anxious," Bartrum told CNN via telephone. "The artwork is very much a reflection of Munch's personal mood."