The fjord seen in the background of “The Scream” is the Oslofjord.
Edvard Munch’s scene is generally identified as a view across the Oslofjord from Ekeberg, a hill overlooking Oslo. The landscape is not meant to be a precise topographical painting: Munch transformed the water, shoreline and sky into sweeping, emotional bands that echo the central figure’s distress.
The background includes Oslo and the island of Hovedøya, both situated within the Oslofjord. A common mix-up is to treat the setting as an imaginary landscape or to confuse Oslofjord with another famous Norwegian fjord, such as Sognefjord or Hardangerfjord. Munch’s own account refers to a “blue-black fjord and city,” supporting the connection to Oslo.
The fjord matters because the work’s setting links a personal moment to a recognizable place. Munch recalled walking with two friends at sunset, seeing a blood-red sky and sensing what he described as an “infinite scream” passing through nature.