Böcklin – Beyond the Myth

The Alte Nationagalerie dedicates an exhibition to the painter, sculptor, and inventor Arnold Böcklin. Vibrant colors, mythical creatures, eerie and fantastical landscapes, and haunting portraits: Arnold Böcklin (1827–1901) was a painter, sculptor, and inventor – and has been both revered and controversial far beyond the 19th century. His work had a lasting impact on his contemporaries and inspired artists in painting, theater, and music to engage with it in their own creative process. In the year of Arnold Böcklin's 200th birthday, the Alte Nationalgalerie invites visitors to encounter one of the most important artists of Symbolism. Around 150 works offer insights into his fascinating oeuvre and its complex reception history. In 1880 a patron commissioned "a picture to dream about" from the already renowned painter and received Böcklin's most famous painting: The Isle of the Dead. The artist painted five versions of this enigmatic motif. To this day, these works are among the most important of the 19th century. The exhibition will bring together various versions of this motif – sensation! This exhibition was initiated and realized in cooperation with the Kunstmuseum Basel. It is made possible by the FREUNDE der Nationalgalerie.