Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’ masterpiece fading because of human breath
- 21 May 2020
In a perplexing turn of events, it has been found that human breath has caused damage to Norwegian artist Edvard Munch’s iconic expressionist painting The Scream.
Scientists have announced that people need to stop breathing on the said piece of historical art when they come to view it.
Just like we practise social distancing etiquette to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the 1910 masterpiece too requires to be socially distanced to save it from further damage.
Researchers looking to discern the reason behind the painting’s deterioration ascertained that human breath contributed to its damage.
The famous artwork was studied using X-ray probes, which determined that Munch had mistakenly used an impure cadmium yellow paint, which is vulnerable in low humidity (such as when it is breathed upon).
Areas of the painting where the yellow is used — on the sunset, lake and parts of the screaming figure’s face – have faded and, in some cases, begun to flake off.
Cadmium-based yellow paints were also used by some of Munch’s contemporaries, including Vincent van Gogh and Henri Matisse.
The researchers’ study, published in "Science Advances," states that Munch’s use of unorthodox pigments “poses a challenge for the long-term preservation of Munch’s artworks because of their tendency to undergo photo-chemical transformations causing colour changes and/or structural damage.”
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In 2004, The Scream was stolen from the Munch Museum in Oslo by two gunmen. It was recovered two years later, but bore damage to its cardboard and a dirty water mark.
