I Lock My Door Upon Myself

Fernand Khnopff made this mysterious Symbolist work in 1891, taking its title from a Christina Rossetti poem. A mysterious woman gazes out from a dreamlike interior, surrounded by symbolic objects including lilies and a bust of Hypnos, god of sleep.

Khnopff was Belgium's leading Symbolist painter, creating works of profound psychological mystery. The painting's muted palette and strange stillness evoke introspection and withdrawal from the world. Displayed at the Neue Pinakothek in Munich.