The scream: The reddish sky in the background of this famous painting was possibly caused by the 1883 Krakatoa eruption. The ash that was ejected from the volcano left the sky tinted red in most of Europe and Asia from November 1883 to February 1884.Courtesy Edvard MunchOn August 26 - 27, 1883 Krakatau, a stratovolcano that lies in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, erupted in what was one of the most violent volcanic events in modern times. It erupted with the force of 200 megatons of TNT and was heard as far away as Australia. The tsunamis generated by the eruption reached heights of 140 feet above sea level and washed away 165 coastal villages on Java and Sumatra, killing 36,000 people.
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Your caption under the Scream painting is interesting. Could you add a link to an art history site that supports the suppostition that the 1883 event influenced the color of the sky in the 1884 painting? It'd be great to know if there is evidence to support this claim or if it's simply conjecture.
Check out this article on the APS Physics site about this, here. There are other artworks that are thought to be influenced by this eruption, including many by William Ashcroft.
Thanks, Joe. You rock!
that wouldve been a sight to see
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