Arnold Böcklin (1827-1901)

Neue Pinakothek

Born on October 19, 1827 in Basel and died on January 16, 1901 in S. Domenico in Fiesole. - After completing his studies between 1845 and 1847 under the supervision of Johann Wilhelm Schirmer, Böcklin travelled to Rome where he made the acquaintance of Oswald Achenbach and Anselm Feuerbach. In Munich, a short time later, the painter caught the attention of King Ludwig I as well as that of Adolf Friedrich Graf von Schack, who purchased 14 of his paintings. After stays in Weimar, Rome and Basel, Böcklin returned to Munich in 1871. In 1874 he relocated to Florence where he became associated with the group of artists linked with Adolf von Hildebrand and Hans von Marées. From 1885 to 1892 he lived near Zurich. Owing to the popularity of his work Böcklin was independent of financial support: a contract with the Berlin art dealer Fritz Gurlitt in 1880 secured his existence. Whereas Böcklin originally devoted himself to landscape painting, as early as 1860 the first of his mythological, primeval figures made an appearance in his work - beings, which were to become characteristic of Böcklin's art.