Friedensreich Hundertwasser, 1928-2000

"Beauty is a panacea"

Limited edition of only 10,000 copies worldwide

The artist born as Friedrich Stowasser lived and died under the name he chose for himself: Friedensreich Hundertwasser. A symbolic figure, not only as a painter but also as an architect, ecologist, and philosopher, he became one of the most fascinating artists of the 20th century. This limited edition of only 10,000 copies shows the life's work of this extremely productive artist for the first time. Hundertwasser began to number and catalog his work in 1954 and completed the task for his whole oeuvre before his early death in February 2000. He worked closely with TASCHEN on this project and designed the layout and the book himself: with rounded edges and a cover with colored velvet on black linen, the Catalogue Raisonné is an exquisite work of art in its own right.

Volume I contains a text on Hundertwasser's personality, life and work by the renowned art historian Wieland Schmied, a longtime personal friend of the artist, with reproductions of selected paintings, architectural works, and projects. Volume II comprises Hundertwasser's entire painted oeuvre, ordered according to his own numbering and information system, as well as his architecture and everything else he ever produced, from postage stamps, through license plates, to applied art. The Catalogue Raisonné is more than a mere book – it is Hundertwasser's legacy.

This edition, the last book designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, includes:

• two volumes designed by Hundertwasser, lavishly printed in ten colors on rounded, black-edged pages, in a presentation slipcase
• Hundertwasser's own layout and design
• 1,792 pages and about 1,900 illustrations documenting Hundertwasser's life and oeuvre from 1928 to 2000, with texts and many personal notes and comments by the artist
• An original 24 x 20 cm (9 3/8 x 7 7/8 in) color etching, specially created for this edition, numbered and marked with the Hundertwasser estate stamp