The Scream by Edvard Munch, 1910

This is without doubt one of the most famous pieces of art in the world and has been described as "The Mona Lisa of our time".

Painted in 1893 by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, this piece tells a story of an dramatic experience Munch had while out walking with his friends. He wrote in his diary at the time;

I went along the road with two friends – the sun set I felt like a breath of sadness - The sky suddenly became bloodish red I stopped, leant against the fence, tired to death - watched over the flaming clouds as blood and sword the city - the blue-black fjord and the city My friends went away - I stood there shivering from dread - and I felt this big, infinite scream through nature.

Much actually created four versions of this piece; the first being in paint, one in crayon and, two years later, he created another pastel version. Then in 1910, he used tempera paints on board for his final Scream.