Böcklin's 'Isle of the Dead' May Depict Ischia's Aragonese Castle
There's a new theory about Arnold Böcklin's famous painting "Die Toteninsel" (Isle of the Dead). Instead of the commonly believed influence of the English Cemetery in Florence, art dealer Massimo Ielasi argues that the Aragonese Castle on Ischia is the true source of inspiration. In his book "Un irresistibile soffio di luce," Ielasi cites Böcklin's own autobiography, "Memorien" (1910), noting that Böcklin visited Ischia in the summer of 1879 for arthritis treatment with Hans von Marées. The local Sant'Anna cemetery, founded in 1836, features terracotta lions similar to those in the painting. The funeral boat could reference a local tradition, and the final version of the artwork was completed around the 1883 Casamicciola earthquake.
Key facts
- Arnold Böcklin painted five versions of 'Die Toteninsel' between 1880 and 1886.
- The fourth version was destroyed; others are in Basel, New York, Berlin, and Leipzig.
- Böcklin visited Ischia in summer 1879 with Hans von Marées.
- Massimo Ielasi published the theory in his book 'Un irresistibile soffio di luce'.
- The Aragonese Castle on Ischia is proposed as the model for the painting's island.
- The cemetery of Sant'Anna on Ischia has terracotta lions similar to those in the first version.
- The 1883 Casamicciola earthquake occurred during the creation of the third version.
- Böcklin's painting was admired by De Chirico, Dalì, Strindberg, Rachmaninov, Freud, Lenin, and D'Annunzio.
Entities
Artists
- Arnold Böcklin
- Hans von Marées
- Giorgio de Chirico
- Salvador Dalì
- August Strindberg
- Sergei Rachmaninov
- Sigmund Freud
- Vladimir Lenin
- Gabriele D'Annunzio
- Michelangelo
- Torquato Tasso
- Ludovico Ariosto
- Vittoria Colonna
- Massimo Ielasi
- Fritz Gurlitt
Institutions
- Artribune
- Amazon
Locations
- Ischia
- Italy
- Basilea
- New York
- Berlino
- Lipsia
- Firenze
- Cimitero degli Inglesi
- Castello Aragonese
- Ischia Ponte
- Villa Drago
- cimitero di Sant'Anna
- Chiesa di Ponte
- Casamicciola
- San Giorgio (Montenegro)
- Castelli di Cannero
- Lago Maggiore
- Pontikonissi
- Corfù