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Isle of the Dead (Toteninsel) - Arnold Bocklin - Fine Art Oil Painting suits both traditional and modern interiors. As a fine art oil painting, it works as a standalone focal point or as part of a dining room gallery wall, and unlike a print it is genuinely hand painted in oils.
1883
Oil on panel
80 cm (31.5 in.) x 150 cm (59.06 in.)
Alte Nationalgalerie - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Germany.
All versions of Isle of the Dead depict a desolate and rocky islet seen across an expanse of dark water. A small rowboat is just arriving at a water gate and seawall on shore. An oarsman maneuvers the boat from the stern. In the bow, facing the gate, is a standing figure clad entirely in white. Just behind the figure is a white, festooned object commonly interpreted as a coffin. The tiny islet is dominated by a dense grove of tall, dark cypress trees—associated by long-standing tradition with cemeteries and mourning—which is closely hemmed in by precipitous cliffs. Furthering the funerary theme are what appear to be sepulchral portals and windows on the rock faces.
In 1880 Marie Berna, the American-born widow of a German diplomat, visited Bocklin in Florence, where she saw an unfinished first version of this painting (now Kunstmuseum Basel) on his easel. She commissioned the present canvas as a memorial to her husband, requesting the additions of the draped coffin and the shrouded female figure. Prodded by his dealer, Bocklin painted three other versions by 1886. This romantic image would become one of Germany's most beloved, widely circulated through poor reproductions as well as a related etching of 1890 by Max Klinger.
Collectors often choose this fine art image when searching for fine art oil painting that feels substantial rather than decorative or disposable.
We use a 100% hand-painted process: stretched artist-grade canvas, layered oil pigment, and a final protective varnish. There are no inkjet prints or mechanical reproductions in this collection — just a painted fine art artwork made to order.
Build a dining room gallery wall around this fine art oil painting, or let it stand alone as a single statement. The hand painted canvas finish keeps the fine art composition looking intentional in both classic and contemporary rooms.
| Size | Price |
|---|---|
| 20 X 40 in | $116.48 |
| 24 X 48 in | $172.48 |
| 30 X 60 in | $243.48 |
| 36 X 72 in | $313.48 |
The sizes shown are the reproduction canvas sizes we paint to order. The dimensions given in a work's description refer to the original artwork and will differ from the sizes offered here. Not sure? Read the size guide or e-mail us.
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Every canvas is painted by hand in oils on artist-grade stretched canvas, with an extra blank border left for framing. How to care for your painting.
Measurements are on the size guide, or e-mail [email protected] and we reply within one business day.
