While it comes as no real surprise to anyone that there are more than 4 versions of Munch’s “The Scream” given that there are already 4 completed and well-known versions using different media types (oils, pastels, tempera and crayon); when over 7,600 sketches of Munch’s work were made available freely to the public in March, more versions of The Scream came to light as well, at different stages of completion and inspiration.

“We want the art to be available to people everywhere,” director of the Munch Museum Stein Olav Henrichsen told Dagbladet.

“There are especially two reasons why we wanted to digitalise all Munch’s drawings. The first reason was that the drawings were unknown. The second was that digitalising the entire collection was truly a dream of ours. Digitalisation is something museums all over the world have struggled with and work towards, and we want Munch to be present in a digital world,” Henrichsen added.

The Munch Museum has received 22 million kroner (2.3 million euros) in support from the Bergesen Foundation, a non-profit foundation benefitting social and humanitarian projects, Dagbladet reports.

Of the 22 million kroner, 12 million has been allocated to digitalisation of the drawings, and 10 million will later be used to digitalise all other works of art, including graphic works, photos, paintings and sculptures. The funds will also finance a new biography on Edvard Munch, which is being launched internationally.

Four art historians spent four years systemising, scanning and digitalising the drawings. In total, they entered 7644 drawings into the database.

The collection is available for everyone — Munch’s works, including the early versions of ‘The Scream’, can be searched in the electronic collection available on the Munch Museum’s website.

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