Edvard Munch

About Edvard Munch

Edvard Munch (1863–1944) was a pivotal Norwegian painter whose work became emblematic of the anxieties and psychological intensity of early Modernism. As a leading figure in Symbolism and the nascent Expressionist movement, his distinctive, emotionally charged canvases explored themes of love, death, sickness, and existential dread. His enduring historical significance is cemented by masterpieces like The Scream, which is instantly recognizable globally and positions him firmly at #249 in MIT’s Historical Popularity Index among all influential figures.

Despite this high ranking in historical importance, Munch’s modern internet attention appears relatively modest. His Wikipedia page garnered 583K annualized views in 2025, equating to an Attention Gap of approximately 1x-meaning his attention level is largely proportional to his historical impact, unlike some major figures who are heavily over- or under-indexed. For comparison, Ernest Hemingway, ranked significantly lower at #425, secured nearly five times the traffic with 2.8M views in the same year.

Looking closer at recent trends, Munch's interest level appears to be in a slight decline; his 2025 Wikipedia views dropped by 7.6% year-over-year, and his Momentum, comparing Q1 to Q3 traffic, fell by 18%, suggesting current online engagement is waning slightly from earlier in the year.