"When Edvard Munch painted "The Scream" he did not have enough money to buy canvas, so the painting that sold on May 2nd at Sotheby's for $120m is on cardboard. It is a remarkable image with a history to match: during the second world war when Norway was occupied by the Nazis, it was hidden in a hay loft. But it is not unique: Munch painted several versions, which makes its record-breaking price surprising to some. The other versions are in museums, and thus beyond the reach of the anonymous buyer who broke the record for a work sold at auction. Yet the sale is only a record in nominal terms: adjusted for inflation, several more expensive paintings have been sold (see chart). When private sales are taken into consideration, "The Scream" looks like a bargain: press reports suggest that a buyer paid $250m for Paul Cézanne's "The Card Players" in 2011." See also: http://www.washingtonpost.com/busines... - Amira