The Scream: a brief history - in pictures

The Scream is readied for auction at Sotheby's in New York Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters

The Scream is auctioned at Sotheby's sales of impressionist, modern and contemporary art Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

The Scream was being sold by Norwegian businessman Petter Olsen, whose father was a friend and patron of the artist Photograph: Frank Franklin II/AP

Edvard Munch's Madonna which, along with The Scream, was stolen from the Munch Museum in Oslo on 22 August 2004 Photograph: Sidsel de Jong/AFP/Getty

Scattered picture frames left by the thieves who stole The Scream and Madonna from the Munch Museum Photograph: Lise Aserud/AP

Norwegian art authorities show The Scream to the media after its return in August 2006, two years after it was stolen by masked gunmen Photograph: Rex Features

A close-up of damage to Madonna, which was returned to the Munch Museum in 2006 Photograph: Reuters/Scanpix

The unrestored Munch masterpieces The Scream and Madonna at the Munch Museum in Oslo Photograph: AFP

Part of a picture frame is recovered by a policeman after the theft in 1994 of a version of The Scream from the National Gallery of Norway Photograph: E Folvik/Rex Features

A version of The Scream is checked for damage after its theft and recovery within three months of 1994. Four Norwegian men were convicted over its theft Photograph: Jon Eeg/AP

A Dutch man shows his arm tattoo of The Scream at the Hanky Panky festival in Amsterdam Photograph: Evert Elzinga/AFP/Getty

The Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell has used The Scream as inspiration for a number of his caricatures – this one depicts the Northern Ireland unionist leader Ian Paisley Photograph: Steve Bell/Guardian