Edvard Munch's The Scream to be sold at auction

The only privately owned version of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" is to be sold by Sotheby's in New York. The auction house rates the painting with $80m, which would make it one of the most expensive artworks ever sold at auction!

The only privately owned version of Edvard Munch's The Scream is to be sold at auction in New York. Photograph: Reuters

A version of one of the most recognisable paintings in the world – Edvard Munch's The Scream – is to be sold by Sotheby's in New York.

The auction house said the painting could achieve in excess of $80m (£50m), which would make it one of the most expensive artworks ever sold at auction.

The painting is one of four versions created by the Norwegian artist and the only one in private hands. Simon Shaw, head of the impressionist and modern art department at Sotheby's in New York, said: "Munch's The Scream is the defining image of modernity, and it is an immense privilege for Sotheby's to be entrusted with one of the most important works of art in private hands.

"Instantly recognisable, this is one of very few images which transcends art history and reaches a global consciousness. The Scream arguably embodies even greater power today than when it was conceived.

"At a time of great critical interest in the artist, and with the 150th anniversary of his birth in 2013, this spring is a particularly compelling time for The Scream to appear on the market. For collectors and institutions, the opportunity to acquire such a singularly influential masterpiece is unprecedented in recent times."

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