Edvard Munch's iconic 1895 masterpiece, "The Scream," was sold at auction at Sotheby's in New York City on Thursday, May 3rd, for a record-breaking $119,922,500 million. That price tops anything that even a Picasso has ever fetched for a painting. The proceeds will fund a new museum in Norway to honor Munch's life and career The auction took a mere 15 minutes before the final bid was "Going, going, gone." Andy Warhol, the creators of The Simpsons, and even the makers of Halloween costumes have riffed on the painting, which so eerily portrays human agony and fear.
The seller, Petter Olsem -- whose father was a friend of Munch's during his lifetime -- said according to numerous reports, "I have lived with this work all of my life, and its power and energy have only increased with time. Now however, I feel the moment has come to offer the rest of the world a chance to own and appreciate this remarkable work."
