Silent Scream Now Unseen

Mean Scream-thieves cream lean security team - last seen tires a-scream

OSLO - Armed robbers stole the iconic Edvard Munch painting, The Scream, from the Munch Museum in Norway.

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Munch Gallery official fleeing to suicide

Masked thieves pulled the work and another painting, Madonna, off the wall in front of screaming visitors.

One robber, holding a gun, screamed at staff as the pair escaped in a waiting car, tires screaming, into the red sunset, a museum officer told wide-eyed, openmouthed reporters - holding their ears in disbelief.

The ghostly, screaming white figure in front of a red sunset is one of art's most familiar images - a symbol of the despair and alienation now gripping Munch Museum officials.

The two stolen paintings were among the museum's most valuable - worth an estimated $19m, shrieked a female spokesman.

Nobody was hurt and no shots were fired, Ms Christofferson said, though much screaming took place.

She said the museum had closed-circuit television but thieves "were wearing black hoods, like bank robbers" which also muffled their screaming.

Guards were more concerned with protecting screaming visitors than screening the Scream painting, Ms Christofferson screamed, anguished.

"When they threaten the guards with a gun there is not much to be done, except, well … scream - and loudly".

Major Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten carried the headline: "The world screams". But the World declined comment - except to say it would "leave the screaming to those who do it best"'.

Norwegian Culture Minister Valgerd Svarstad Haugland wailed "the theft is dreadful, shocking". "We have not protected our cultural treasures and are demeaned" she steamed as tears streamed.

No protection

"What's strange is that in this museum, there weren't any means of protection for the paintings, no alarm bell" Francois Castang, a French radio producer, told France Inter radio. "Even the guards didn't scream out."

The masked raiders were pictured on closed-circuit television. They appeared to not know exactly where the paintings hung, crashed into a glass door on their way into the museum, and dropped the paintings twice on the ground before escaping. "They appeared dazed and overcome, typical of someone disoriented by loud noise - obviously due to their proximity to the Scream" security analysts observed.

Oslo Police found parts of picture frames after a suspect vehicle screeched to a halt after screaming past witnesses.

The Munch Museum also possesses a second Scream while a third is at Norway's National Gallery and a fourth in private hands. "We knew security was poor so we thought a spare would come in handy" an official beamed.

Madonna was painted during the same period and formed part of Munch's Frieze of Life series.

"It was rather shortsighted of Munch not to knock up a few spare Maddonas as well" volunteered the now-former official.

Munch, Norway's best-known artist, died in 1944, aged 81.

Previous Robbery

Another version of the painting - a real screamer, and considered to be the most significant one - was stolen from the Norwegian National Gallery in 1994.

The Norwegian government received a loud demand for a ransom of $1m, but never got proof that those screaming for the money had the Scream painting.

The painting was recovered undamaged in a hotel about 65km (40 miles) south of Oslo in May 1994 after patrons complained of a lonely scream during the night.

See also: Munch's Blue Dress theft involving wild speculation, and a little fun with Munch's Montage.