Munch, Edvard. The Scream. 1893. National Gallery, Oslo, Norway.
Edvard Munch's The Scream depicts a ghoulish creature in mid-gasp, contrasted against a vivid pastoral background. The red, menacing sky and strange landscape appear quite unnatural and anxiety inducing. The main figure in the front is obviously disturbed and is shown to be in great agony. The onlookers in the background appear to be watching, perhaps judging, the figure in the front.
Munch's The Scream has long been considered to be one of the most popular images of alienation and despair. One only needs to see the image to realize that the ghoulish figure is a strong representation of loneliness and alienation. Interestingly, The Scream has often been used as a comparison to individuals experiencing Depersonalization Disorder, a disorder which causes a person to feel as though they have lost touch with reality and that what they are experiencing is not actually real life. Some think that Munch himself may have possibly suffered from this disorder. In any case, The Scream is an undoubtedly perfect representation of the feeling of alienation.
