The science of modernism and increasing materialism changed the way of living, further influencing the art, culture, society, and even psychology. However, what other regimes struggled with, like the detachment of logical thoughts and aversion to spirituality, became the strength of Germany in the twentieth century. That’s when modern Teutonic symbolism entered. Big fancy word, I know. In simpler words, it means the symbols that ancient Germans had in their mythology and culture. For instance, in early German paganism, a sacred tree is like the connection between the earthly and spiritual realms, or a Valknut is a symbol of transition between life and death. This is what Teutonic symbolism was, and it was displayed in paintings by three significant German artists—Richard Wagner, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Arnold Böcklin. Among them, Böcklin used this symbolism in his canvases as if his art had the glowing colors of a poem. He portrayed gardens and meadows with modern idealism in his paintings. An expression of Teutonic expressionism, in all his paintings he used an overwhelming vitality of nature to recreate the art of his country. In this article, I am talking about one of his most renowned works, the Isle of the Dead painting, which has a rich palette and, most importantly, a Germanic soul. Before we begin, here’s a word from the sponsor of the article and, of course, today’s book recommendation.
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Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre.
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Arnold Böcklin: Artist Abstract.
Belonging to a group of painters born in the 1820s and 1830s, Böcklin ushered in a new era of German art. This era was unlike any since the days of Dürer and Holbein. A contemporary of Anselm Feuerbach and Viktor Müller, Böcklin was born in Basel on October 16, 1827. His father, a struggling silk merchant, had two more sons: Werner and Walther. Böcklin attended the local drawing academy and often visited the collection of Holbeins at the university. He spent too much time wandering alone among the valleys and rushing waters. In the future, he will never forget the fantastic and macabre ideas in Holbein’s art, the beauty of nature, and his Rhenish birthplace. These influences can be seen in all his compositions.
He witnessed the moments of Swiss independence, which brought both darkness and light, as well as poverty and neglect. Later, marriage and the birth of his son made his art more impactful, as his wife and friends always recognized his talent. Thereby, he studied for about two years under Hildebrand and Schirmer. Schirmer gave him a deeper understanding of landscapes, and the Flemish galleries taught him about tones and colors in painting. Böcklin also witnessed the Paris Revolution of 1848, but his art was never impacted. He continued to paint and practice model sketching.
Having these preliminary experiences, he then moved to Rome and entered the cultural heritage of the time. He faced several difficulties here, as his finances were not good, making him sleep without a roof and facing the utmost starvation at times. It was in 1853 that he married Angelina Pascucci despite facing several obstacles, including religion. Whenever he visited Switzerland or Germany, his art would become more robust, whereas on his visit to Rome or Florence, his art would gain more depth.
About Isle of the Dead Painting.
| Title | Isle of the Dead, (German: Die Toteninsel) |
| Artist | Arnold Böcklin (Swiss, Basel 1827-1901 San Domenico, Italy) |
| Date | 1880 |
| Medium | Oil on wood |
| Dimensions | 29 x 48 in. (73.7 x 121.9 cm) |
Historical Provenance of the Composition.
Starting from when the painting was composed, Böcklin painted it when he was commissioned for it by his patron, Marie Berna, in 1880 as a memorial to her late husband. On her request, he further added a draped coffin and a shrouded white figure into the rowboat so that she could always dream herself in the darkness: the darkness of her beloved’s death or the darkness that her husband might witness after his death. Between 1883 and 1886, he further painted three additional versions of the subject. What were the differences in these versions? I will tell you about them in later sections of this article.
Subject Matters and Symbolism.
The Isle of the Dead painting is more than a landscape work, with beautiful, accurate geographical details depicted across the sea. There is an unescapable romance with reality, further tempered by the secret spirit of the place. It hides an inexplicable meaning through its surroundings. Many of the contemporaries, for a fact, call Böcklin an Inhaltskünstler. He would paint nature with such calm and solace that it would reflect its fullness of power.
In the painting, a rowboat with a man rowing and a shallow white figure standing with a coffin moves towards an island that consists of hard rocks with few windows and long cypress trees. On the hard rocks, there are some faces. With swaying cypresses, burnished waters, and a haunting sky, this composition has a perfect tonality with a tragedy in it. In the faster times of the modern world, it gives you the idea of solemnity, quietness, and a never-ending journey after death. Though it is the most perfect and penetrative evocation of any age, it still shows the silent symbol of human longing for peace and transfiguration.
Understanding the Meaning of Isle of the Dead Painting.
Bocklin painted it to portray the death and life connection or an afterlife. To me, it can also be a state of mind of a person. Though the surroundings look almost perfect, water is typically a source of relaxation in dreams; the never-ending darkness can be our mind stuck at some point, maybe the past or worry of the future. This silence of getting stuck sometimes haunts you as you are not moving anywhere. And getting stuck at a place with visual boundaries, no matter how hard you try to get out, has a psychological impact. According to my interpretation, this silence is a gratitude in difficult times to just calm your mind, but sometimes it is haunting and horrifying because the thoughts can work in a loop, and meanwhile, you are still stuck at this dead place mentally. Or it is a safe space where you can put your fears and thoughts to introspect on them in such a way that the consciousness covers some parts of the subconscious. And this small window at the rocks can be the door to the self-image. Lastly, the faces seen on the hard rocks are the illusory factors that disturb the present state of mind.
The artist never gave a public opinion on the meaning of his work, as he described this as a dream image,
“it must produce such stillness that one would be startled by a knock at the door.”
There are various meanings of this painting- one is that it might reflect the fears of the human psyche as per Sigmund Freud, or it is a display of a mythology where the rower, Charon, transports the souls to the underworld. As per this mythology, the water is the River Styx, and the passenger in white is the newly deceased soul that is going to transit to its afterlife.
Versions.
Isle of the Dead painting has five versions, each different from the others in some way.
When the artist composed the first version of the painting (Basel version) in May 1880, it was for his patron, Alexander Günther. However, he kept it for himself. In this version, the surroundings are darker, and the colors are more dominant and stronger. Furthermore, there are more windows, and the placement is different than in the second version of the composition, which is in New York. Furthermore, the first version doesn’t have flowers on the coffin, contrary to the second version.
The third version of the Isle of the Dead by Arnold Böcklin, composed in 1883, has subtle colors, less darkness, more windows on the left rock, and more flowers on the coffin. Furthermore, it has a clear entry that the earlier versions don’t have. Its bidding was won by Hitler, and he hung this in his study. The fourth version was lost in a fire.
The fifth version has several differences, including darker clouds and sky, with the boat approaching almost the sanctuary. The white figure bends down, and the rower stands in the way that they have arrived at their destination. Furthermore, it has stronger walls at the entryway. The final version is clearer through its coloring.
Final Words.
Böcklin belonged to the Olympians of art. Being perfect in his art, he dreamed and painted with a philosophical view. Throughout his life, he studied mechanics to solve the problem of aerial navigation. Though he failed in it, his studies were based on the flight of the birds. An indefatigable reader, Böcklin read medieval and ancient authors, questioning the philosophy with his illuminating thoughts. His paintings are based on these facts. The Isle of the Dead painting portrays a landscape painting with varied versions and different meanings. However, it showed the journey, the journey to a mirror soul in a continuous cycle of mystery and beauty.
Resources.
- Modern Artists by Christian Brinton (1870-1942).
- Germany At The Fin De Siècle Culture, Politics, and Ideas by Suzanne Marchand and David Lindenfeld (Editors), Louisiana State University.
- Featured Image: Isle of the Dead by Arnold Böcklin; Arnold Böcklin, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Arnold Böcklin never explained the Isle of the Dead painting, summarizing it through a single statement, “It must produce such stillness that one would be startled by a knock at the door.” Several authors, including Sigmund Freud, called it a depiction of the fears of the subconscious, and others opinionated that it may show a link between life, death, and afterlife.
The Isle of the Dead painting is based on the mythological story of a rafter transporting the souls to the underworld. Arnold Böcklin took inspiration from this mythology and painted it following a commission from his patron, Marie Berna, post her husband’s death.
Isle of the Dead is popular for taking elements of Neoclassicism and being inspired by Romanticism while using mythology, depicting psychology, and giving philosophical intent through German symbolism. The painting was also admired by Adolf Hitler, who even participated and won its bidding. Lastly, Sigmund Freud concluded its meaning through his theories on the subconscious.
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