Photo from the National Museum of Norway Norweigian artist Edvard Munch’s 1893 artwork “The Scream” has been among the most recognizable modern masterpieces in the world. Depicting a melancholic image of a wailing ghost-like character and “a blood red” sky, the painting is seen by many as a symbolism of anxiety and mental health. But on the surface of the unnerving painting lies a dark mystery that has baffled art historians for years. On the top left-hand of the painting is a message written in pencil that reads, “Can only have been painted by a madman.” The cryptic message has been a subject of discussion for over 117 years. Others think it was a bad review written by someone to vandalize the artwork. While some say it was the artist himself who etched the words. New discoveries by the curators at the National Museum of Norway state that the author of the message was, indeed, Munch.