THE SKY IN EDVARD MUNCH’S THE SCREAM FRED PRATA, ALAN ROBOCK, AND RICHARD HAMBLYN The sky in Munch’s famous painting is compared with photographs of a display of nacreous clouds. ABSTRACTS IMPORTANCE OF LATE FALL However, since 1900 neither ob- THE SKY IN EDVARD ENSO TELECONNECTION served CONUS landfalling hur- MUNCH’S THE SCREAM IN THE EURO-ATLANTIC ricane frequency nor intensity The Scream is a well-known paint- SECTOR shows significant trends, including ing by Edvard Munch (1863–1944). Recent studies have indicated the the devastating 2017 season. The Norwegian word used by importance of fall climate forcings Two large-scale climate modes Munch is “skrik,” which can be and teleconnections in influenc- that have been noted in prior translated as “shriek” or “scream.” ing the climate of the northern research to significantly impact The Scream may be of interest mid- to high latitudes. Here, we CONUS landfalling hurricane ac- to meteorologists because of the present some exploratory analy- tivity are El Niño–Southern Oscil- quite striking representation of ses using observational data and lation on interannual time scales the sky. It has been suggested seasonal hindcasts, with the aim and the Atlantic multidecadal that the dramatic red-colored sky of highlighting the potential of oscillation on multidecadal time was inspired by a volcanic sunset the El Niño–Southern Oscilla- scales. La Niña seasons tend to be seen by Munch after the Krakatau tion (ENSO) as a driver of climate characterized by more CONUS eruption in 1883 and by a sighting variability during boreal late fall hurricane landfalls than El Niño of stratospheric nacreous clouds, and early winter (November and seasons, and positive Atlantic mul- and also that it is part of the artist’s December) in the North Atlantic– tidecadal oscillation phases tend expression of a scream from na- European sector, and motivating to have more CONUS hurricane ture. The evidence for the volcanic further research on this relatively landfalls than negative phases. sunset theory and Munch’s psyche unexplored topic. The atmospheric Growth in coastal popula- are briefly reviewed. We provide ENSO teleconnection in Novem- tion and regional wealth are the support that Munch’s inspiration ber and December is reminiscent overwhelming drivers of observed may have been from a sighting of the east Atlantic pattern and increases in hurricane-related of nacreous clouds, observable distinct from the well-known damage. As the population and from southern Norway during arching extratropical Rossby wealth of the United States has in- the winter months. We show that wave train found from January to creased in coastal locations, it has the colors and patterns of the sky March. Temperature and precipi- invariably led to the growth in ex- in Munch’s painting match the tation over Europe in November posure and vulnerability of coastal sunset colors better if nacreous are positively correlated with the property along the U.S. Gulf and clouds are present. Their sudden Niño-3.4 index, which suggests East Coasts. Unfortunately, the appearance around and after a potentially important ENSO risks associated with more people sunset creates an impressive and climate impact during late fall. and vulnerable exposure came to dramatic effect. By comparing In particular, the ENSO-related fruition in Texas and Florida dur- the color content of photographs temperature anomaly extends over ing the 2017 season following the and paintings of regular sunsets, a much larger area than during the landfalls of Hurricanes Harvey volcanic sunsets, and nacreous subsequent winter months. We and Irma. Total economic damage clouds after sunset with the color discuss the implications of these from those two storms exceeded content of the sky in The Scream, results and pose some research $125 billion. Growth in coastal the match is better with nacreous questions. (Page 1337) population and exposure is likely clouds present. If this conjecture is to continue in the future, and correct, then Munch’s sky in The CONTINENTAL U.S. when hurricane landfalls do oc- Scream represents one of the earli- HURRICANE LANDFALL cur, this will likely lead to greater est visual documentations of a na- FREQUENCY AND damage costs than previously seen. creous cloud display. (Page 1377) ASSOCIATED DAMAGE: Such a statement is made recogniz- OBSERVATIONS AND ing that the vast scope of damage SURF: UNDERSTANDING FUTURE RISKS from hurricanes often highlights AND PREDICTING URBAN Continental United States the effectiveness (or lack thereof) CONVECTION AND HAZE (CONUS) hurricane-related in- of building codes, flood maps, Urbanization modifies atmo- flation-adjusted damage has in- infrastructure, and insurance in spheric energy and moisture bal- creased significantly since 1900. at-risk communities. (Page 1359) ances, forming distinct features AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY JULY 2018 | 1309 he representation of clouds and other meteoro- was rare he may not have recognized that the atmo- logical phenomena in art has been recognized for spheric display was connected to the presence of high T some time as a source of potential data to de- clouds. Here we discuss previous ideas concerning the scribe aspects of the atmosphere long before the inspiration behind Munch’s depiction of the sky. These widespread use of quantitative measuring devices include the volcanic sunset hypothesis, the idea that (e.g., Neuberger 1970; Brimblecombe and Ogden Munch used colors for symbolic meaning (e.g., red to 1977; Thornes 1999; Zerefos et al. 2007, 2014). A no- represent passion and blood), and the nacreous cloud table example of this was the use of William Ascroft’s hypothesis of Fikke et al. (2017). The paper briefly pastel sketches (Ascroft 1888) showing dramatic discusses the first two ideas and then concentrates on sunsets that appear on the frontispiece of the Royal the nacreous cloud hypothesis. Because the exact dates Society’s publication “The eruption of Krakatoa and of the paintings and Munch’s motives are uncertain, subsequent phenomena” (Symons 1888). These this and previous discussion have been limited to con- sketches depict observations from Chelsea, London, jecture. We also include some background on Munch, on 26 November 1883 and show the effects that aero- his art, and his mental state. The main focus of this sols high in the atmosphere have on the color of the paper, however, is an objective color analysis of his sky. We cannot be sure that the chromolithograph paintings of The Scream, of photographs of volcanic reproductions of the sketches accurately represent sunsets, and nacreous clouds. By analyzing the color the spectral content of the sky, as we also cannot content and patterns of the depiction of the clouds and be sure that Ascroft himself accurately depicted the sky in The Scream, this study supports Fikke et al.’s colors using the palette of crayons available to him, (2017) suggestion that nacreous clouds provided the but modern photographs of volcanic sunsets resemble inspiration for his depiction of the sky in The Scream. these sketches well. Hamblyn (2001) describes the origin of the system- THE ART OF EDVARD MUNCH. Edvard atic categorization of clouds by Luke Howard. Clouds Munch (1863–1944) was a Norwegian artist noted had hitherto been assumed to be ephemeral shapes in for his somber motifs and expressionist style. Munch the sky. This “invention” had an immediate impact on was the second child born to Christian Munch, who the scientific community and was recognized at the was a very religious, stern, and conservative man and time as an important paradigm. Howard’s descriptions who had a strong influence on Edvard. His mother included sketches of various cloud types, but interest- died in December 1868 of tuberculosis, a fate also suf- ingly not all. Fikke et al. (2017) have hypothesized fered by his grandfather, Edvard Storm Munch, who that the sky in The Scream has a striking similarity was insane at the time of his death. The hardships, to mother-of-pearl or nacreous clouds. They discuss grief, gloominess, and Edvard’s conviction that he anecdotal evidence concerning the possibility that would eventually succumb to insanity are believed Munch observed these clouds while out walking with to have influenced his artistic style and subject mat- friends one evening, or perhaps on another occasion or ter. Indeed, the themes of blood and melancholy are occasions. They suggest that although Munch himself present in many of his paintings. seems not to have regarded his observation as one of Of relevance to this study, Munch is known to clouds (he refers to the sky), since this type of cloud have been indifferent to dating his artwork (Prideaux 2012). This may have been because of his desire to keep his paintings with him and update them from AFFILIATIONS: PRATA—Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic time to time by adding brushstrokes, but also may and Planetary Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United King- have been due to his view that the chronology of his dom; ROBOCK—Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New work only mattered when he considered the work fin- Brunswick, New Jersey; HAMBLYN—Birkbeck College, University ished (Prideaux 2012). He is also known to have dated of London, London, United Kingdom CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Fred Prata, [email protected] his works going back many years before they were first exhibited, as well as producing many versions of the The abstract for this article can be found in this issue, following the same painting. The relevance, as we shall see, is that table of contents. it is difficult to say precisely when he first painted The DOI:10.1175/BAMS-D-17-0144.1 Scream and indeed when he first conceived the idea. In final form 10 January 2018 The materials and paints used by Munch are also ©2018 American Meteorological Society For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright somewhat uncertain.