Insula dulcamara is an oil painting on newsprint pasted to burlap by the Swiss-based abstract artist Paul Klee, initiated in 1938 when he was suffering from the wasting disease scleroderma.

[1] Like much of Klee's output, the image conveys a coded message to the viewer, asking that he or she should reflect on the artist's thought processes during its creation.

[2] However, a newer analysis by academic Chris Pike suggests that the symbols represent Klee's own identity and mortality, spelling out his name and referencing aspects of his life and interests.

The pale face in the letter P may represent his skin tones resulting from his medical condition and approaching death.

The red spots may represent the berries of the Solanum dulcamara (woody nightshade) plant mentioned in the work's title.