Max Hunziker Artist and Canvas from Return of the Prodigal Son
Untitled – Original lithograph
Signed Max Hunziker in pencil lower right. Signed M.H. in the plate and dated 1952.
From a German edition of Andre Gide´s retelling of the Gospel of Luke, 15,11-32 which was illustrated by Hunziker: Die Heimkehr des Verlorenen Sohnes 1953.
A work rich in symbolism. An artist (a self-portrait?) weeps as he paints an image of Christ. And in turn, the canvas is held by a figure in a christ like pose, as an angel watches on from the left.
Dimensions: 25 X 33 cm
1901 Zürich – 1976 Zürich
Born in Zurich, the son of a milkman, this painter, graphic artist, and illustrator is perhaps best known internationally for his stained glass windows (including the three choir windows of the Johanneskirche in Bern).
After training to be a school teacher, he decided to take up art and traveled to Florence where he immersed himself in the rich legacy of Christian imagery. Later, supported by the Winterthur philanthropist and art collector Georg Reinhard, Hunziker studied in Paris and southern France, where his work was influenced by Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse and Georges Rouault.
Hunziker’s works imbue simple objects with poetic and religious symbolism. Regular motifs include wings, doves, and a solitary bearded man, an everyman, representing Christ. The Swiss art historian Adolf Reinle described Max Hunziker as a “Christian Surrealist.”
