The original German title given to the work by Munch was Der Schrei der Natur (The Scream of Nature).

In a note in his diary Munch described his inspiration for the image thus:

“I was walking along a path with two friends—the sun was setting—suddenly the sky turned blood red—I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence—there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city—my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety—and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.”

—Edvard Munch

Diane bought me long underwear, and Christmas morning I pulled off my shirt to try on the top which is made out of something that feels like silk, but fits like a second skin. It’s black and makes me look sleek and sexy. Or so I thought.

Matthew: “Hey dad, you better start benching again. You’ve got saggy tits.”