The Most Unsettling Self-Portrait

In 1872, Swiss artist Arnold Böcklin painted himself at the peak of his career. But instead of portraying himself as a successful artist, he chose to include something no painter in their right mind would put in the image that would immortalize them. Behind him, pressed against his back, Death plays the violin directly into his ear. And the most disturbing part is not the skeleton itself, but a small detail hidden in the violin. A detail that, once you discover its meaning, changes the way you see this entire painting. In this video we explore the tragic life of Arnold Böcklin, the medieval tradition behind this image, and the true meaning of the single string that Death plays beside his ear. ► Shop "Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle" (1872) at - https://www.inspiraggio.com/products/self-portrait-with-death-playing-the-fiddle-arnold-bocklin-1872 ► Shop Art Prints & Canvas at - https://www.inspiraggio.com/collections/shop-all ► Shop Fine Art Phone Cases at - https://www.inspiraggio.com/collections/iphone-cases → Join our FREE newsletter: https://www.inspiraggio.com/pages/newsletter → Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspiraggio → Contact: [email protected] 0:00 Introduction 0:57 Arnold Böcklin 2:42 Analysis 3:25 The Violin 4:46 Danse Macabre 6:01 Memento Mori #arthistory #art Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.