The Munch Museum

You’re now in front of the striking Munch Museum. When famous Norwegian painter Edvard Munch died in 1944, he left Oslo a remarkable gift: his entire art collection. In 1963, the first Munch Museum opened, housing nearly 1,200 paintings, 3,000 drawings, and 18,000 prints. His sister later donated her full correspondence with him, along with more artwork. Fully redesigned by the renowned Spanish architecture firm Studio Herreros, the new museum is five times larger than the original and is considered the biggest museum in the world dedicated to a single artist. Spread across 13 floors and over 26,000 square meters, it features vast exhibition spaces, including an entire room devoted to his most iconic painting, The Scream. A lifelong bachelor, Munch saw his paintings as his family and called them his children. He wished to see them all reunited in a single museum, and now, that dream has come true. However, not everyone is a fan of the building’s architecture, but that’s the risk of a daring design, you can’t please everyone. That said, this might just be the most secure building in the country! The ultra-tight security stems from a dramatic event. On the 22nd of August 2004, Munch’s two most famous works, The Scream and Madonna, were stolen from the old museum! The three thieves were caught in 2006, and the paintings were returned to what’s now essentially a fortress. If you’ve picked up an Oslo Pass, the museum entry is included, so make sure to stop by. If not, you can always buy a ticket and get to know this extraordinary Norwegian artist who was a true pioneer of expressionist painting.