By Maria-Nefeli Andredaki,
The first day of the Easter holidays found my friend and me on a four-hour flight away from home, heading to Scandinavia. Our destination was the (apparently) not-as-cold-as-everyone-had-us-believe, Oslo! It was honestly the best trip I have been on so far, and I would highly recommend it to everyone. I loved it so much that I will probably write a follow-up article for anyone who needs a guide on what to do while being there.
As the title suggests, one of the things that stood out to me the most was the Munch museum. Let me preface this by saying that I had no idea who Munch was—or that the famous Scream painting was in Oslo, for that matter. It all started when we were looking up places and preparing our itinerary, which brought many pleasant surprises.
Before going to the museum, I made sure to do some research. Munch was a Norwegian painter who died at the age of 80 in 1944. It seems that, throughout his life, his family was tormented by illness and death, which led to him steadily losing almost everyone. Even his one surviving sister was diagnosed with mental illness at some point. Munch once wrote, “Illness, insanity, and death were the black angels that kept watch over my cradle and accompanied me all my life”. This haunted and lonely feeling is quite evident in many of his paintings—even for people who are unfamiliar with his work and life.
As for the Munch museum itself, the building is in the center of the city, right next to Oslo’s prominent Opera. It is a tall, glass structure with more than seven floors to explore. The first floor houses the snack bar, gift shop, and lockers. You are required to leave your large bags and jackets in the lockers, while small bags are checked by security. My personal suggestion would be to explore two to three floors before visiting the snack bar, since it is a great place to rest for a little while (trust me, you’ll need it). You are free to roam around the museum, leave, and re-enter throughout the day, as long as you have your ticket with you.
The second and last couple of floors are dedicated to other artists who were heavily inspired by Munch and his motifs (e.g. the motif of heads). However, the few floors in between are what we were all waiting for: the majority of Munch’s artworks —which surpass 26,000 in number— along with The Scream in all its versions.
Did I just say “versions”? Well yes, apparently there are multiple versions of many of Munch’s works, and they are all housed together. It seems that the artist had the habit of making multiple copies (with slight variations) of the same artwork, either to satisfy all of his clients or to keep one for himself. This is why the Munch museum houses eight versions of The Scream, three of which are sheltered in a dark, circular room and hidden behind small protective doors. Every thirty minutes, one version is revealed while the other two remain in the protection of the dark. This helps preserve the paintings by minimizing their exposure to light. It was a very unique experience to witness!
So, if you are planning a trip to Oslo in the near future, make sure to wear comfortable shoes and clear most of your schedule on the day of your visit. The Munch museum was definitely my favorite part of the trip, and I would honestly visit it again if I had the chance. Oh, and don’t forget to grab a souvenir!
References
- About the Collection – A fragile inheritance. Munchmuseet. Available here
- The history of the Museum. Munchmuseet. Available here
- Edvard Munch. Britannica. Available here
