The Adventurer, Arnold Böcklin
In Böcklin’s painting, the hermit on the boat has become an incidental figure. His head raised proudly, Astolfo looks ahead with determination. But the exhausted horse and the bones on the ground point to the hardships that will be encountered in this undertaking and the danger that lies ahead. It is no coincidence that Böcklin chose this story, which takes place in Africa, as a theme in 1882. This was the year the German Colonial Association was founded, marking the beginning of German- Prussian colonialism in Africa. The knight, burning for action, is actually a symbol of aggressive expansionism and a warning against a false belief in progress. The hermit stands for the peaceful antithesis: He rows his boat back to the lonely island seen in the distance.
