January 23, 1944

Edvard Munch's dates are December 12,  1863  to January 23, 1944. The painter of The Scream (1893) was first in Paris in 1889 for the Exposition Universale, where his painting was displayed. He lived in Germany, Paris, and Norway for the next two decades. It was not apparent in 1889 what a great success he would become in the art world.

His biography, by Sue Prideaux,  Behind the Scream, (2007) is our citation for this glance at his Paris studio.

The  cat in his studio,  had slipped in off the street, and settled in, sharpening  its claws on his canvases and even bathrooming on them. Munch was too soft hearted to keep the street cat out. Finally he succeeded in house training the cat, using more force than he liked. 

Let's be clear now: The Scream was not about a cat; at least, that is not my point.