Isle of the Dead

A desolate, rocky islet rises above dark, still water. A small boat approaches its entrance, rowed by an oarsman. At the bow stands a figure dressed in white, before a white object hung with garlands, usually read as a coffin. At the centre of the island, tall dark cypresses form a dense grove, enclosed by steep cliffs. In the rock, you can make out what look like the doors and windows of tombs.

Böcklin never explained the meaning of the painting. He described it as a dream picture, one that should create a silence so deep that you would start if someone knocked at the door. Nor did he give it this title: it was the art dealer Fritz Gurlitt who named it “Isle of the Dead” in 1883. The painter himself spoke of Die Gräberinsel, “the island of tombs”.

This print reproduces the 1880 version held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was for this version that Marie Berna, Böcklin’s patron, who had just lost her husband, asked him to add the draped coffin and the white figure. The painter later added them to the version held by the Kunstmuseum Basel as well. He painted five versions of the picture between 1880 and 1886.

In the Heritage range, this work is linked to FØRTIFEM and Olivier Ledroit, who have each created their own Isle of the Dead, available on the Vortex.

Original work: Arnold Böcklin (Swiss, 1827-1901), Isle of the Dead, 1880, oil on wood, 73.7 × 121.9 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Reisinger Fund, 1926 (object number 26.90). Public domain work, image made freely available by the museum (Open Access).

This art print is a reproduction, printed in France by Atelier Kyodai Print on 230 gsm premium matte paper. It is available in two sizes: 30 × 40 cm and 50 × 70 cm.

Myths, creatures and haunted landscapes: the world of Arnold Böcklin, one of the great visionaries of Symbolism.

Arnold Böcklin page →

230 gsm premium matte paper
Printed by Atelier Kyodai Print

Paper and process are chosen with the artist and the workshop to respect the original work. Every copy is checked before shipping. Printed in France.

Magnetic hanging bars: one 2 cm-wide natural wood bar at the top, one at the bottom, holding the print with magnets, with no holes and no damage to the paper. Lengths of 31, 51 and 71 cm to match the sizes, with a hanging cord. Delivered in the tube with your print.

Wooden frame: natural-finish wooden frame with a protective plexiglass front. Available for the 30 × 40 and 50 × 70 cm sizes. Your work arrives already framed, ready to hang: it ships in a box, not in a tube.

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Ships within 5 business days in a hexagonal tube, tracked and insured. Fine Art prints travel in double packaging: a rigid round tube slipped inside a second square tube that keeps it from rolling and absorbs knocks. Works ordered with a wooden frame arrive already framed and ship in a box. Free shipping from €150 within mainland France (collectibles excluded).

Returns within 14 days, numbered editions included: the work comes back in its original tube, unframed and in perfect condition. Only prints dedicated to your name or made in a custom size cannot be returned or exchanged, unless faulty on arrival.