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Experts previously speculated that the graffiti was a vandalism attempt
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 25 Feb 2021
Infrared scans of graffiti were compared to samples of the artist’s handwriting Credit: National Museum of Norway
A conservation project at the National Museum of Norway in Oslo, Norway, has revealed the identity of the mysterious vandal who scrawled on Edvard Munch’s iconic work, The Scream.
Infrared scans compared with surviving samples of the artist’s handwriting - in the form of diaries and letters - have revealed that the etching was in fact written by Munch.
The line, which reads: “Can only have been painted by a madman” in Norwegian, appears on the top left corner of the earliest version of the painting. It was thought to be graffiti for decades.
Experts previously speculated whether the graffiti was an attempt to vandalise the painting or if it was written by Munch, who experienced extensive mental health issues throughout his life.
The Scream first debuted in Oslo (then Kristiania), Norway, in 1895. At the time it was met with criticism, including a lecture from a medical student who branded Munch as a “most insane man”. It is thought that Munch scribbled on his work in response.
“The writing is without a doubt Munch’s own. The handwriting itself, as well as events that happened in 1895, when Munch showed the painting in Norway for the first time, all point in the same direction,” said museum curator Mai Britt Guleng.
The Scream is currently undergoing extensive conservation work, as it prepares to go on display at The National Museum of Norway in 2022.
The etching on The Scream enhanced by Infrared photography - Credit: National Museum of Norway
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