Böcklin: Beyond the Myth

Bright colors, mythical creatures, eerie and fantastic landscapes and haunting portraits: Arnold Böcklin was a painter, sculptor, inventor - and is revered and controversial far beyond the 19th century.

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  Arnold Böcklin: Die Toteninsel, 1883

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  Arnold Böcklin: Selbstbildnis mit fiedelndem Tod, 1872

The Alte Nationalgalerie is dedicating an exhibition to the painter, sculptor and inventor Arnold Böcklin (1827–1901).

Bright colors, mythical creatures, eerie and fantastic landscapes and haunting portraits: Arnold Böcklin was a painter, sculptor, inventor - and is revered and controversial far beyond the 19th century. His work had a lasting impact on his contemporaries and inspired artists from the fields of painting, theater and music to engage in their own debates.

In the year of Arnold Böcklin's 200th birthday, the Alte Nationalgalerie invites you to encounter one of the most important artists of Symbolism. Around 150 works provide an insight into his fascinating oeuvre and its eventful reception history. in 1880, a client ordered "a picture for dreaming" from the then already well-known painter and received Böcklin's most famous painting: The Isle of the Dead. The artist painted five versions of the mysterious motif. To this day, these works are among the most important of the 19th century. The exhibition will bring together different versions of this motif - a sensation!

This exhibition was initiated by and realized in cooperation with the Kunstmuseum Basel. It is made possible by the FREUNDE der Nationalgalerie.Translated with DeepL

Runtime: Fri, 19/03/2027 to Sun, 01/08/2027

Takes place here:

• Alte Nationalgalerie