Gone to the devil: the murals of Ile Royale hospital.

Abstract

Off the coast of French Guiana lie three small islands, one of which became famous a century ago when Alfred Dreyfus was incarcerated there: Devil's Island has become synonymous with penal servitude. The name encompassed the whole penal colony of Le Bagne, and to be “sent to the devil” or “go to the devil” has become an everyday phrase. On the largest island, Ile Royale, are the official residences and the prison hospital, now deserted, though access through the window arch is not difficult. On the ground floor, in what could have been a small …