Munch's 'The Scream' has a secret message – and we finally know who wrote it

The Scream
(Image credit: Edvard Munch)

Edvard Munch's The Scream is unsettling enough, without any extra surprises. But did you know about the secret message contained in the painting? The writing, hidden in the top-left of the piece, reads "Can only have been painted by a madman"(which, frankly, makes it even creepier). Up until now, who added this message has been a source of contention but, finally, the mystery has been solved. 

Experts have been puzzled since 1904, when the inscription was first discovered. Thanks to modern infared technology, the author has been identified as none other but the artist himself, and historians think it tells us a lot about his mindset at the time. Want to create you own masterpiece? These are the painting techniques you need to know about.

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Georgia Coggan

Georgia is lucky enough to be Creative Bloq's Editor. She has been working for Creative Bloq since 2018, starting out as a freelancer writing about all things branding, design, art, tech and creativity – as well as sniffing out genuinely good deals on creative technology. Since becoming Editor, she has been managing the site on a day-to-day basis, helping to shape the diverse content streams CB is known for and leading the team in their own creativity.