'The Scream' fetches record $119.9M at NYC auction

[n2doc]

ULA ILNYTZKY, Associated Press

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

One of the art world's most recognizable images — Edvard Munch's "The Scream" — sold 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 Wednesday evening. 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.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/05/01/national/a234824D18.DTL

[malaise]

1. Wow!

That's a lot of money

[pinboy3niner]

2. AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!

[CTyankee]

3. the "power of art" is now really the "power of money" I guess.

Well, what else is new?

[banned from Kos]

4. Inflation!

sorry Inflationista's - just a joke!

[MadHound]

5. Well, with that kind of pricetag,

It is almost a guarantee that you, I, and the overwhelming rest of the world will never see that painting again. It will get stuck in some collection, open only to private viewing.

Art should be for all.

[Lars77]

11. Munch made four of them, the other three are on display in Oslo museums

They are not exactly alike i think.

No doubt this will end up in the mansion of:

a) A Russian criminal oligarch
b) An arab sheik
c) A chinese criminal oligarch

[JHB]

6. ...and $119.9M bid fetches screams. Oh, the irony...

I don't care how good a painting it is. Whoever paid that has too much money lying around.

[Cooley Hurd]

7. Eh, it was worth it. I'm going to hang it next to my other prized piece:

[underpants]

8. Do you see it? It is right here centrally mounted..... you probably think my penis is bigger....I do

[cthulu2016]

9. Not worth it for that weak-ass pastel version

The real one (the one we think of as THE scream) may well be worth that.

[edbermac]

10. Big deal...I got a Bob Ross painting for $19.99

Just look at all those happy little trees; now that's ART!!