Moisture in the air is triggering the degradation of the 20th century masterpiece The Scream by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, scientists say.
An international team used the world's biggest X-ray to analyse paint micro-flakes from The Scream, which is kept in the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway.
Cadmium sulphide, used as a pigment in the original paint, becomes oxidised and fades under high humidity conditions, they found.
It was thought light was to blame for 옴모 유아용 colours of the painting gradually fading, which is why it has been mostly kept in near darkness - but humidity is its major threat.
The findings could help better preserve the masterpiece, suspected to be from 1910, which is rarely exhibited due to its degradation.
One of the painted versions of The Scream, thought to be painted in 1910, and the subject of the study
