Marketing Munch
One of the world’s most famous paintings spins off remarkable merchandise
Photos: Ingebretsen’s
Here is a year-round solution to daily bumps and scratches that appropriately displays your pain: “The Scream” bandages. You can buy these hilarious bandages from Ingebretsen’s Nordic Marketplace, where they are a top seller. Use them to treat small wounds or as a unique sticker pack. Each container has a special prize inside! Made by Archie McPhee. $6.50.
LAILA SIMON
St. Paul, Minn.
What shows a testament to an artist like adhesive bandages with their work on it? Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” is one of the most famous paintings of all time. Painted in 1893, “The Scream” is an icon of modern art and the post-impressionist movement. The emotion that emanates from this painting is part of its lasting impact.
Munch was known for his serious works depicting the feelings that live in our innermost minds and psyches. His expressionism mixed with his lifelike paintings of people and landscapes made his style internationally beloved. Inspired by artists in France and Germany, Munch did not shy away from using color. The bright sky behind the scary figure in “The Scream” is just as iconic as the person Munch painted. While it looks like the scream is coming from this figure, the original title of the piece was “The Scream of Nature,” and that phrase indicates the person is blocking out this surrounding scream with its hands, instead of letting out a scream.
Turning this portrait, filled with anxiety and uncertainty, into novelty products is an ironic twist on a classic piece of art. If you’re in the market for a gift to give the Munch fan in your life, look at these unexpected products. They “scream” obscure art connoisseur and might just make you laugh.
Photo: HOTSOX
If you’re looking for something to wear outside the home and a pin is too flashy, HOTSOX has two sock designs to adorn your ankles with “The Scream.” One of the leaders in the fashion sock industry, this company has transformed the painting into “The Scream” with a blue or orange background to fit your mood. One-size-fits-all cotton socks. $12 per pair.
Photo: Design Toscano
This next piece really brings the painting to life. Design Toscano, a company specializing in historical replicas, has created three sizes of “The Scream” in the form of a miniature statue. You can use them inside or outside to “ward off unwanted company.” These figures start at $38 for the medium size. Design Toscano has also made these statues into ornaments just in time for the holidays!
Photo: Museum of Modern Art
Starting small with this minimalist rendering of “The Scream” in the form of a wearable pin from the Museum of Modern Art. For just $10, you can share a love of Munch with the world.
Photo: Archie McPhee
Seattle’s slapstick novelty store Archie McPhee has latched onto “The Scream” as fodder for several products, the most seasonal being “Scream with Santa Hat.” It’s the perfect amalgamation of “holiday angst” in a 5-foot-tall figure.
This article originally appeared in the Nov. 5, 2021, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.
