With his first illustrations of the Bible, painterErnst Fuchs hopes to surpass the heretofore best-known Bibleillustrators of this century: his friend Salvador Dali, and painterMarc Chagall. "I want to create a gold ingot," says Fuchs as hebegins work on this unique edition of the so-called Book ofBooks.
In accordance with the 67-year-old artist'sdesign, the book will be bound in calfskin and covered with a goldfolium. This is to emphasize the value of this "most valuabletreasure of humanity". "With this, I am transforming the profanecovetousness of men for gold into a yearning for what is holy, intoreverence for the great Mystery," explains Fuchs to the AssociatedPress. A total of 80 oil paintings, drawings, and etchings withBiblical motifs are being put together by the master, who has foryears been hailed as our time's "prince of painters." In spite ofintensive work, the Fuchs Bible, to be published by the PattlochPublishing House in Augsburg, will not be finished until after thebook fair in Frankfurt in October. God created the world in sevendays, says Fuchs, but it took him a little longer to create theBible. As the son of a Jewish father, Fuchs has been familiar withthe Bible's themes since childhood.
"I consider this Bible to be my crowningachievement," says the well-known founder of the Vienna school offantastic realism. "What will be collected in this book is the sum ofmy artistic achievement," adds Fuchs, who became a student at theFine Arts Academy in Vienna at the early age of 15. As a painter inthe classical tradition, his paintings have fantastic andsurrealistic elements, as will be evident in the Bible.
Deluxe Edition to be Exhibited in the UnitedStates
"This Deluxe Edition of the Holy Scriptures isbookmaking of the highest art," says Richard Hartmann, Fuchs's Germangraphic art publisher in Munich. As a supplement to the bound FuchsBible, Hartmann is putting together a series of 60 different signedoriginal prints for exhibitions in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.In America, the Fuchs Bible, along with the series of prints, will beexhibited next year at the United States Museum of European Art inNew York state, according to museum director John Zavrel.
The Fuchs Bible is more than just an attractionfor the devout, says Hartmann. "It is also a splendid collector'spiece for the eye. If one reads it as well, then that is anadditional personal gain." The book, approximately 29 x 20centimeters in format, will appear in a gold decorated slipcase thathas been hand-worked. International circulation of the deluxe editionwill be about 20,000 copies, reports Hartmann.
This number is small in view of the fact that thenormal edition of the Holy Scriptures is, with several hundredmillion treasured copies in 257 languages, the most published book onevery continent.
Copyright 1999 Museum of European Art