This Kiss My Art T-Shirt represents one of the most recognizable paintings: The Scream. Part of Musart Boutique Collection of sports apparel, this 100% polyester shirt is a unique piece of art. According to Munch himself, The Scream was a picture he painted to represent his soul. Rather than adhering to the art style of the time — that is, painting pictures meticulously to realistically represent the subjects in them — he chose to use an unrealistic style to paint his emotions, rather than focus on realism and perfectionism in his art. Munch explained that he painted a moment of existential crisis. He was walking down a road similar to the one in the painting, while the sun was setting, creating a beautiful, vibrant background. His friends were walking with him, but, looking out at the sky in front of them, he stopped, while they continued walking. He then described having what we would now consider to be a panic attack; he suddenly became tired, anxious, claustrophobic, and the weight of nature and of the world hit him all at once.
Edvard Munch was a Norwegian painter and printmaker whose evocative treatment of psychological themes built on late 19th-century Symbolism and greatly influenced early 20th-century German Expressionism. His childhood was marked by illness, bereavement, and the dread of inheriting a family mental condition. The oppressive religious milieu, poor health, and vivid ghost stories inspired his macabre visions; he felt death was constantly advancing on him. At the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania (now Oslo), Munch lived a bohemian life under nihilist Hans Jæger, who urged him to paint his emotional and psychological state (‘soul painting’). This led to his distinctive style.
His painting The Scream (1893) symbolizes modern spiritual anguish and is an iconic image in the art world. The painting’s agonized face represents the angst of modern life. Munch recalled that he was out walking at sunset when he “heard the enormous, infinite scream of nature.”
Despite growing fame and wealth, Munch’s emotional state remained insecure. A mental breakdown forced him to give up heavy drinking. He was cheered by increasing acceptance in Kristiania and museum exposure. His later years were spent in solitude, working in peace and privacy.
