NEW YORK – One of the art world's most recognizable images -- Edvard Munch's "The Scream" -- sold Wednesday for a record $119,922,500 at auction in New York City. The 1895 artwork -- a modern symbol of human anxiety -- was sold at Sotheby's. The price includes the buyer's premium. The image of a man holding his head and screaming under a streaked, blood-red sky is one of four versions by the Norwegian expressionist painter. The auctioned piece at Sotheby's is the only one left in private hands. The previous record for an artwork sold at auction was $106.5 million for Picasso's "Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust," sold by Christie's in 2010. The image has become part of pop culture, "used by everyone from Warhol to Hollywood to cartoons to teacups and T-shirts," said Michael Frahm of the London-based art advisory service firm Frahm Ltd. "Together with the Mona Lisa, it's the most famous and recognized image in art history," he added.
One Hundred Twenty Millions Freakin' Dollars, people. And the headline of the link I'd clicked said "is it worth it?"....In a word, NO!
Tremendously famous painting, and the article is right, along with the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper, and Whistlers Mother, it's one of four paintings that non-art history majors will recognize. So yea, I guess its a conversation piece, now it all depends on how much you value that conversation. I'm not sure reverential conversations in hushed tones over Roast Duck Dinner Parties with Bourgeois friends is worth that much. Nor do I think you're going to impress and floozies you wrangled back to your apartment with this thing, you've already got them back to your apartment, at that point its overkill.
Basically, you got ripped off. At no point in time beyond the very first hours after you've hung that on your rich mahogany wall are you ever going to feel anything but remorse for buying this thing. Sentenced to a life of shaking your head and muttering about all the other really cool shit you could have used $120 million on.
PS: I'll sell you this masterpiece for a fraction of the price:
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2 Minutes on MS Paint. Folks, I can be commissioned.
