Self Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle by Arnold Böcklin (Interpretation and Analysis)

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Self Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle
Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Ars longa, vita brevis.”

This famous quote—which is attributed to the Greek physician Hippocrates—translates to “art is long, life is short,” and it is the perfect phrase to describe the self-portrait of Swiss artist Arnold Böcklin.

The piece depicts the artist hard at work with a palette full of paint. He gazes out into the distance, as if deep in thought about the painting he’s working on. Behind him, a grinning skeleton leans over his shoulder. The skeleton plays a fiddle with only one string, which, according to my research, is tuned to G. Böcklin seems to listen to this strange music as he paints, although he does not look toward the skeleton. The piece itself is rather informal and dramatic, showing the influence of Romanticism on Böcklin’s work.

The iconography of this piece is a reference to two different artistic motifs that were common in European art: the memento mori and the danse macabre (the dance of death). Both motifs typically feature skeletons and other symbols associated with death. These motifs are designed to remind viewers that death is coming for them, no matter their station in life; thus, the viewer should focus on living a good and moral life.

Böcklin’s self portrait, however, offers a twist on the traditional memento mori. While the artist will die, his work—as symbolized by the paint he holds—will live on. Böcklin, therefore, does not seem panicked by the presence of death; instead, he focuses on his art, creating a legacy that will live on. Reputation and great deeds have often been the solution to death in human culture and literature. Böcklin’s work brings this idea to art in spectacular fashion.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.

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