Death, fear and the uncanny converge in the dark, dreamlike imagery of Alfred Kubin (1877–1959). With a fine pen-and-ink technique, the Austrian draughtsman and illustrator created unmistakable scenes full of grotesque and fantastical figures, and ranks among the foremost representatives of Symbolism and fantastic art. Born in Leitmeritz in Bohemia, he settled early at Zwickledt in Upper Austria, where he worked in seclusion for most of his life. Kubin was a member of the Blaue Reiter group and illustrated works by Edgar Allan Poe, E. T. A. Hoffmann and Fyodor Dostoevsky; in 1909 he published his own fantastic novel, "Die andere Seite" (The Other Side). His work exerted a profound influence on Expressionism and Surrealist art.