LEGO version of ‘The Scream’, Edvard Munch’s iconic painting, looks more unsettling than the original

LEGO bricks lend themselves rather wonderfully to post-impressionist paintings. We’ve seen Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Sunflowers translate seamlessly into brick-based recreations (even Hokusai’s The Great Wave looks wonderful in LEGO), but there’s something oddly unnerving about this LEGO Ideas MOC of Edvard Munch’s The Scream. LEGO bricks tend to pixelate paintings, diluting their detail and therefore their appeal, but with this fan-made MOC (My Own Creation), the bricks have the opposite effect. The brick diorama looks a little more unsettling than the painting, creating that visual tension that makes you want to simultaneously look at it as well as look away. Now that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Art is supposed to evoke an emotion, and this build definitely does! I’d probably just be a little hesitant if I had to hang this in my living room!

Designer: Spacemanship

“Edvard Munch painted the iconic masterpiece “The Scream” 130 years ago to symbolize his anxiety at that time,” says LEGO builder Spacemanship, who recreated the famous painting using 2999 bricks. His purpose was to give people with anxiety something to channel their feelings into – I’m pretty sure he’s got an audience, given that the LEGO Ideas submission hit the coveted 10,000 votes milestone and will soon be translated into a buyable LEGO kit.

With 2999 pieces, this set showcases the oil paint rendition of The Scream. The boardwalk is composed of wood-patterned tiles, while the cliff on the right and fjord line on the left provide a stunning three-dimensional texture to the background. The central figure can be detached from the frame and features movable parts such as a spinning waist and mouth. Additionally, a minifigure Edvard Munch is cleverly concealed within the skull!

Moreover, the main subject of the painting is detachable too, and can be used as a tabletop accessory or carried around and placed into photos for a dramatic appeal!