Island of the Dead, oil painting on wood that was created in 1886 by Swiss artist Arnold Böcklin, who was known for his landscapes and his sinister allegories. This is his fifth version of the enigmatic work, which has resisted facile interpretation but nonetheless fascinates. Prints of the work were quite popular in the early 20th century. In the latter part of the 19th century, Symbolist painters reacted against the naturalistic aims of the Impressionists and their contemporaries. Instead of focusing on the everyday world, they preferred to dwell on themes of mystery and the imagination. Böcklin was one of