Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle by Arnold Böcklin
- Original, framed (8 x 10 in (20.3 x 25.4 cm)): INR 14,000 / USD 1,599
- A4 print (A4, 8.3 x 11.7 in (21 x 29.7 cm)): INR 3,500 / USD 399
- A5 print, A4 frame (A5, 5.8 x 8.3 in (14.8 x 21 cm)): INR 4,000 / USD 459
- A4 print, A3 frame (A4, 8.3 x 11.7 in (21 x 29.7 cm)): INR 5,000 / USD 569
Hand-painted oil study after Arnold Böcklin, by Riya Kumari
After Arnold Böcklin, Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle, 1872 Artists have always been fascinated with painting themselves with a memento mori. Böcklin painted this self-portrait in 1872 which shows the artist pausing in the middle of his work and Death is playing the fiddle, almost directly in his ear. The story goes that Böcklin painted the figure of death in response to friends asking what he seemed to be listening to. This is a study of the painting.
About the painting
Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle, Arnold Böcklin, 1872
- Artist
- Arnold Böcklin
- Year
- 1872
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Size
- 75 × 61 cm (29.5 × 24 in)
- Where it hangs
- Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin
What does the painting mean?
It is a memento mori, a reminder that life is short. Böcklin, then 45, paints himself at work with his brush and palette, and pauses to listen: behind his shoulder a skeleton plays a fiddle, almost in his ear. Death is close, and the painter carries on working.
Where is the original?
In the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin. It is oil on canvas, 75 × 61 cm. Lovis Corinth answered it in 1896 with his own Self-Portrait with Skeleton.
Original, framed
- Size
- 8 x 10 in (20.3 x 25.4 cm)
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Framing
- Framed, 13 x 17 in
- Certificate
- Certificate of authenticity included
A4 print
- Size
- A4, 8.3 x 11.7 in (21 x 29.7 cm)
- Medium
- Archival Giclée print on Hahnemühle German Etching (310 gsm) paper
- Framing
- Unframed
- Certificate
- Certificate of authenticity included
A5 print, A4 frame
- Size
- A5, 5.8 x 8.3 in (14.8 x 21 cm)
- Medium
- Archival Giclée print on Hahnemühle German Etching (310 gsm) paper
- Framing
- Matted frame, 9 x 12.5 in
- Certificate
- Certificate of authenticity included
A4 print, A3 frame
- Size
- A4, 8.3 x 11.7 in (21 x 29.7 cm)
- Medium
- Archival Giclée print on Hahnemühle German Etching (310 gsm) paper
- Framing
- Matted frame, 13 x 17 in
- Certificate
- Certificate of authenticity included
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