Arnold Bocklin

Happy Birthday Arnold Bocklin!! Swiss painter Arnold Bocklin was born in 1827 and a symbolist painter. Although his father, a merchant, was opposed to his chosen career, he attended the Dusseldorf Academy of Art. He traveled between Brussels, Antwerp, Switzerland and Paris, settling finally in Rome in 1850, studying the work of masters. It was in Italy that he met his wife and eventually after a period in Switzerland, they settled there for the remainder of their lives. He felt it was the artist's duty to give the viewer food for thought, creating a lasting impression, much the same as a poet's work. His most famed work is perhaps The island of the Dead, included here, depicting a lonesome island set away from the world. He painted several versions of this theme.