The Scream

[Doug Lax]

I wonder if Macauly Culkin will buy this?

Munch's 'The Scream' may fetch $80M at NYC auction - Yahoo! News

[Masterlu]

[Formerly YB-2]

Google Image Result for http://onpoint.wbur.org/files/2012/05/homer_the_scream.jpg

[bakerman]

Sold for a record $119.9 million!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/ar...s-auction.html

[GaryProtein]

Originally Posted by bakerman

Sold for a record $119.9 million!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/ar...s-auction.html

Absolutely Ridiculous.

The pastel is a piece of crap. I produced better drawings in elementary school, except I didn't have a PR man market it for me.

I guess you have to give him credit for that, but $119.9 million? ? ? ? ?

It's a good thing the artist is dead, because he would have died laughing if he knew what the pastel sold for.


This might also be of interest: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...sive_paintings

[Still-One]

Originally Posted by GaryProtein

Absolutely Ridiculous.

It's a good thing the artist is dead, because he would have died laughing if he knew what the pastel sold for.

Same could be said for the price of collector cars, some older watches, and todays audio gear.

Jim

[bakerman]

Originally Posted by GaryProtein

Absolutely Ridiculous.

The pastel is a piece of crap. I produced better drawings in elementary school, except I didn't have a PR man market it for me.

I guess you have to give him credit for that, but $119.9 million? ? ? ? ?

It's a good thing the artist is dead, because he would have died laughing if he knew what the pastel sold for.

Being an artist myself and having worked in a gallery, I'm amazed at how many times I've heard something along these lines. People always look at the end result and not the means to get there.

I think the sellers father, who apparently was a friend and patron of Edvard Munch, would be pissed that something that should have been kept in the family forever would be auctioned off to help build a hotel.

[Lee3]

Originally Posted by bakerman

I think the sellers father, who apparently was a friend and patron of Edvard Munch, would be pissed that something that should have been kept in the family forever would be auctioned off to help build a hotel.

"Olsen said he was earmarking the funds for a museum near Munch’s former home and studio that would focus on Munch and local Norwegian artists, a project that is scheduled to open next year, the 150th anniversary of Munch’s birth."

I'm not one to judge but I can appreciate anyone who has grown up with an image like that their entire life, might be excited to watch some fireworks as they turn 80. It's instant immortality for Petter which is important to some and watching that painting on the wall grow in value from less than $50k to over $100MM during your lifetime can mess with your head. Even for a billionaire, $100MM is a lot of money unless you're one of two handfuls of billionaires in the world which he is not.

It becomes tough on the one hand to keep something like that on the wall. On the other, I'd like to think that he believes he's doing right by his father and a greater good for the artist and local artists (with the planned museum) by selling it now and filling the coffers for said museum instead of it passing through his estate in a decade or two if he's lucky.

[bakerman]

Originally Posted by Lee3

"Olsen said he was earmarking the funds for a museum near Munch’s former home and studio that would focus on Munch and local Norwegian artists, a project that is scheduled to open next year, the 150th anniversary of Munch’s birth."

If this is the case then good for him. This is what I read in Doug's original post:

Proceeds from the sale will go for the establishment of a new museum, art center and hotel in Hvitsten, Norway, where Olsen's father and Munch were neighbors.

Yes, 100+ million is a lot of money any way you look at it. I imagine growing up with something like that on the wall could make quite a dreamer out of someone. I like your optimistic way of looking at the gist of the sale. I on the other hand see visions of "Scream" bobble-heads, mouse pads and car air-fresheners in the gift shop. I hope I'm wrong...

[LordoftheRingsEE]

Originally Posted by bakerman

Sold for a record $119.9 million!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/ar...s-auction.html

---Simply amazing!!!