The Garden of Death
Hugo Simberg · 1896
Why it's great
A skeleton gardener in a black cloak waters flowers as a boy and girl in white watch. Simberg's strange, gentle painting turns death into a friendly gardener. He was a Finnish Symbolist painter. It's both spooky and sweet.
Where to see it
📍 AteneumHelsinki, Finland
Open in Maps ↗ About this museum →Hang it on your wall
Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.
Hugo Simberg was born in Hamina, Finland, and studied art in Helsinki and Paris. He lived mainly in Finland and painted strange, gentle scenes full of angels, devils, and skeletons, often with a wink of humor. His work blends Finnish folk tales with Symbolism. He died in 1917 at age 43.
