Island of the Dead | Arnold Böcklin | All | European Paintings | Collection Database | Works of Art

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Signed (lower right, on rock): A B

Gallery LabelA widow shrouded in white accompanies her husband's draped coffin in a rowboat to a rocky island whose cliffs are carved with tomb chambers. Böcklin painted five versions of "Island of the Dead" between 1880 and 1886. The image became one of the most beloved motifs in late nineteenth-century Germany, widely known through poor color reproductions and a freely adapted etching of the 1890s.

The Metropolitan Museum owns the second version of "Island of the Dead," which was commissioned by Marie Berna when she visited Böcklin in his Florence studio in April 1880. She was struck by the first version (Kunstmuseum Basel), which sat half completed on the easel, so Böcklin painted this smaller version on wood for her. At her request, he added the coffin and female figure, in allusion to her husband's death years earlier. His dealer, Fritz Gurlitt, prodded Böcklin to paint three more versions, all with a lighter sky. One is in Berlin (1883, Alte Nationalgalerie), one is in Leipzig (1886, Museum der Bildenden Künste), and the third (1884) was destroyed in World War II.

ProvenanceMarie Berna, later Maria Anna Gräfin von Oriola, Büdesheim, near Frankfurt (1880–d. 1915); her heirs, Josephine von Buttlar and Marie Sommerhoff (née Leisler), Büdesheim (1915–24; sold for Swiss Fr 90,000 to Fischer); [Galerie Fischer, Lucerne, 1924–26; sold to MMA]

Exhibition History

Brooklyn Museum. "Landscape," November 8, 1945–January 1, 1946, no. 42.

Art Gallery of Toronto. "The Classical Contribution to Western Civilization," December 15, 1948–January 31, 1949, not in catalogue.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Classical Contribution to Western Civilization," April 21–September 5, 1949, not in catalogue.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "German Drawings: Masterpieces from Five Centuries," May 10–June 10, 1956, suppl. no. 202.

Cambridge, Mass. Busch-Reisinger Museum. "Rivers and Seas: Changing Attitudes Toward Landscape, 1700–1962," April 26–June 16, 1962, no. 26.

London. Hayward Gallery. "Arnold Böcklin, 1827–1901," May 20–June 27, 1971, no. 38.

Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf. "Arnold Boecklin, 1827–1901," June 21–August 11, 1974, no. 46.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "German Masters of the Nineteenth Century: Paintings and Drawings from the Federal Republic of Germany," May 2–July 5, 1981, no. 9.

References

Arnold Böcklin. Letter to Marie Berna. June 29, 1880 [published in Ref. Schmid 1921, p. 28 and Ref. Vielsmeier 1981, p. 120].

Arnold Böcklin. Letter to Marie Berna. October 24, 1880 [published in Ref. Schmid 1921, pp. 28–29 and Ref. Vielsmeier 1981, p. 121].

Arnold Böcklin. Letter to Alexander Günther. May 19, 1880 [excerpt translated in French in Ref. Holenweg, "Hommage à L'Ile des Morts," 2001, p. 12].

Heinrich Alfred Schmid. Arnold Böcklin: Eine Auswahl der hervorragendsten Werke des Künstlers. 2, Munich, [1895], p. 21, no. 300b, pl. 19.

Max Lehrs. Arnold Böcklin: Ein Leitfaden zum Verständnis Seiner Kunst. Munich, 1897, p. 43, no. 25.

Franz Hermann Meissner. Arnold Böcklin. Berlin, 1899, pp. 91–92 [1901 ed., pp. 94–95].

Gustav Floerke. Zehn Jahre mit Böcklin: Aufzeichnungen und Entwürfe. Munich, 1902, pp. 26, 38, 86, ill. after p. 36.

Heinrich Alfred Schmid. Arnold Böcklin: Eine Auswahl der hervorragendsten Werke des Künstlers. 4, Munich, [1902], p. 61.

Julius Vogel. Toteninsel und Frühlingshymne: Zwei Gemälde Boecklins im Leipziger Museum. Leipzig, 1902, pp. 14–17, 22, 38 n. 2, p. 39 n. 3, ill. opp. p. 8.

Fritz v[on]. Ostini. Böcklin. Bielefeld, 1904, pp. 102–3, pl. 63 [1923 ed., pp. 96–99, pl. 63].

Alfred Julius Meier-Graefe. Der Fall Böcklin und die Lehre von den Einheiten. Stuttgart, 1905, p. 243.

Ernst Berger. Böcklins Technik. Munich, 1906, pp. 4, 14, 113.

Adolf Grabowsky. Der Kampf um Böcklin. Berlin, 1906, pp. 73–75.

Adolf Rosenberg. Handbuch der Kunstgeschichte. 2nd ed. Bielefeld, 1908, p. 625, pl. 845.

Berthold Daun. Die Kunst des 19. Jahrhunderts und der Gegenwart. Berlin, 1909, pp. 768–69, pl. 564.

Neben meiner Kunst: Flugstudien, Briefe und Persönliches von und ûber Arnold Böcklin. Berlin, 1909, p. 60.

Heinrich Alfred Schmid. Arnold Böcklin. Munich, 1919, pp. 34–35, pl. 58.

Marie Sommerhoff. Letter to Heinrich Alfred Schmid. October 4, 1920 [excerpt published in French in Ref. Holenweg 2001, "Hommage à l'Ile des Morts d'Arnold Böcklin," p. 12].

H[einrich]. A[lfred]. Schmid. "Die neuerworbenen Gemälde Arnold Böcklins." Jahresbericht der Oeffentliche Kunstsammlung Basel, 1920, n.s., 17 (1921), pp. 26–29, fig. 5.

H[einrich]. A[lfred]. Schmid and J. Sarafin-Schlumberger. "Jahresbericht der oeffentlichen Kunstsammlung über das Jahr 1920." Jahresbericht der Oeffentliche Kunstsammlung Basel, 1920 17 (1921), pp. 5–6.

H[einrich]. A[lfred]. Schmid. Offentliche Kunstsammlung Basel, Kleine Führer Nummer 1: Arnold Böcklin. [Basel], 1922, pp. 19–20, under no. 1055.

Bryson Burroughs. "The Island of the Dead by Arnold Böcklin." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 21 (June 1926), pp. 146–48, ill.

"Notes on Current Art." International Studio 84 (August 1926), pp. 85–86, ill.

Hanns Floerke. Böcklin und das Wesen der Kunst. Munich, 1927, pp. 37–42.

Georg Jacob Wolf. Arnold Böcklin: Aus Leben und Schaffen. Munich, 1927, p. 42, ill. p. 36.

Wilhelm Barth. Arnold Böcklin. Frauenfeld, 1928, pp. 9–13, 91.

Rolf Andree Freie Universität, Berlin. Arnold Böcklin: Beiträge zur Analyse seiner Bildgestaltung. Düsseldorf, 1962, pp. 44–46, 48, 55, 57–58, 75 n. 112, p. 77 n. 126, p. 79 n. 154, p. 86 n. 239, p. 87 n. 258.

Rudolf Zeitler. Die Kunst des 19. Jahrhunderts. Berlin, 1966, pp. 116–17.

Rolf Andree. Arnold Böcklin, 1827–1901. Exh. cat., Hayward Gallery. London, 1971, pp. 8, 11, 31, no. 38.

Keith Roberts. "Current and Forthcoming Exhibitions: London." Burlington Magazine 113 (July 1971), p. 419.

Michael Webber. "London Galleries: Peace and War." Apollo 93 (June 1971), p. 510.

Rolf Andree in Arnold Böcklin, 1827–1901. Exh. cat., Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf. Düsseldorf, 1974, p. 60, no. 46.

Zoltan Magyar. "Die Toteninsel." Das Münster 29 (1976), pp. 204–7.

Susanne Burger et al. in Arnold Böcklin, 1827–1901. Exh. cat., Kunstmuseum Basel. Basel, 1977, p. 201, under no. 154.

Brigitte Rechberg in A. Böcklin, 1827–1901. Exh. cat., Mathildenhöhe. 2, Darmstadt, 1977, pp. 130–31, under no. 55, ill.

Norbert Schneider in A. Böcklin, 1827–1901. Exh. cat., Mathildenhöhe. 1, Darmstadt, 1977, p. 106.

Hans Günther Sperlich in A. Böcklin, 1827–1901. Exh. cat., Mathildenhöhe. 1, Darmstadt, 1977, p. 127.

Arnold Böcklin: Leben und Werk in Daten und Bildern. Frankfurt, 1977, p. 136.

Dieter Honisch. "Neuerwerbungen der Nationalgalerie 1980." Jahrbuch Preussischer Kulturbesitz 17 (1980), p. 247.

Alison de Lima Greene et al. in German Masters of the Nineteenth Century: Paintings and Drawings from the Federal Republic of Germany. Exh. cat., The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, 1981, pp. 62–64, no. 9, ill. (color).

Sharon Latchaw Hirsh. "Arnold Böcklin: Death Talks to the Painter." Arts Magazine 55 (February 1981), p. 87.

Gert Schiff in German Masters of the Nineteenth Century: Paintings and Drawings from the Federal Republic of Germany. Exh. cat., The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, 1981, p. 29.

Bernd Vielsmeier. "Böcklin - Berna - Büdesheim. Zur Entstehungsgeschichte der 'Toteninsel' von Arnold Böcklin." Wetterauer Geschichtsblätter 30 (1981), pp. 117–22, ill.

Haruo Arikawa in Arnold Böcklin: Werke aus dem Kunstmuseum Basel. Exh. cat., National Museum of Western Art. Tokyo, 1987, pp. 124–25, ill.

Ann Dumas in Sarah Faunce and Linda Nochlin. Courbet Reconsidered. Exh. cat., Brooklyn Museum. Brooklyn, 1988, p. 157.

Dorothea Christ in Dorothea Christ and Christian Geelhaar. Arnold Böcklin: Die Gemälde im Kunstmuseum Basel. Basel, 1990, p. 122, fig. 123.

Andrea Linnebach Universität Tübingen. Arnold Böcklin und die Antike: Mythos, Geschichte, Gegenwart. Munich, 1991, pp. 101–3.

Franz Zelger. Arnold Böcklin: Die Toteninsel. Frankfurt, 1991, pp. 8, 11, 16, fig. 1.

Mario Erdheim and Agathe Blaser in Arnold Böcklin, Giorgio de Chirico, Max Ernst. Exh. cat., Kunsthaus Zürich. Zürich, 1997, pp. 195–96.

László F. Földényi in Arnold Böcklin, Giorgio de Chirico, Max Ernst. Exh. cat., Kunsthaus Zürich. Zürich, 1997, p. 185.

Robin Lenman. Artists and Society in Germany, 1850–1914. Manchester, 1997, pp. 94–95.

Greil Marcus in Arnold Böcklin, Giorgio de Chirico, Max Ernst. Exh. cat., Kunsthaus Zürich. Zürich, 1997, p. 250.

Rolf Andree. Arnold Böcklin: Die Gemälde. 2nd, supplemented and revised ed. Basel, 1998, pp. 28, 418–20, 564–65, 568, 577, 579, 581–82, no. 344, ill. [1st ed. Basel, 1977].

Hans Holenweg in Rolf Andree. Arnold Böcklin: Die Gemälde. 2nd, supplemented and revised ed. Basel, 1998, pp. 96, 101 [1st ed. Basel, 1977].

Georg Schmidt in Rolf Andree. Arnold Böcklin: Die Gemälde. 2nd, supplemented and revised ed. Basel, 1998, p. 60 [1st ed. Basel, 1977].

Anita-Maria von Winterfeld Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel. Arnold Böcklin: Bildidee und Kunstverständnis im Wandel seiner künstlerischen Entwicklung. Basel, 1999, p. 178.

Hans Henrik Brummer in Kingdom of the Soul: Symbolist Art in Germany 1870–1920. Exh. cat., Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt am Main. Munich, 2000, pp. 30–31.

Hortense von Heppe. "Die Toteninsel." Deutsche Italomanie in Kunst, Wissenschaft und Politik. Munich, 2000, pp. 101–3, 108–12, 115–17.

William Vaughan in Kingdom of the Soul: Symbolist Art in Germany 1870–1920. Exh. cat., Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt am Main. Munich, 2000, pp. 79, 88.

Petra Bosetti. "Ein später Gast im Reich der Mythen." Art no. 5 (May 2001), pp. 82–83, 85–86, ill. (color).

Elizabeth Clegg. "Böcklin, Basel, Paris and Munich." Burlington Magazine 143 (August 2001), pp. 509–10 n. 3.

Roger Dadoun. L'Île des Morts, de Böcklin: Psychanalysis. Paris, 2001, pp. 27, 71.

Christoph Heilmann in Arnold Böcklin. Exh. cat., Kunstmuseum Basel. Heidelberg, 2001, p. 41.

Hans Holenweg in Hommage à l'Ile des Morts d'Arnold Böcklin. Exh. cat., Musée Bossuet, Meaux. Paris, 2001, pp. 12–13, 18–19, ill. pp. 16–17 (color).

Hans Holenweg. "Die Toteninsel. Arnold Böcklins popülares Landschaftsbild und seine Ausstrahlung bis in die heutige Zeit." Das Münster 54, no. 3 (2001), pp. 235–37, 239, fig. 2 (color).

Katharina Schmidt in Arnold Böcklin. Exh. cat., Kunstmuseum Basel. Heidelberg, 2001, p. 17, fig. 4.

Franz Zelger in Arnold Böcklin. Exh. cat., Kunstmuseum Basel. Heidelberg, 2001, p. 260.

Matthew Gurewitsch. "A Visual Requiem That Inspired Rachmaninoff." New York Times (January 6, 2002), pp. 31, 37.

Rodolphe Rapetti. Symbolism. Paris, 2005, p. 8.

Sabine Rewald in Masterpieces of European Painting, 1800–1920, in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, 2007, pp. 78, 212, no. 72, ill. (color and bw).

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