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Walter Jonas and his significance for Friedrich Dürrenmatt

Friedrich Dürrenmatt met Walter Jonas in 1942. The artist's studio became a meeting place for artistic and intellectual creators from various countries, some of whom had settled in Zurich because of the war. Here Jonas also offered the young Friedrich Dürrenmatt a spiritual home. At the nightly meetings, joint projects such as the "Book of a Night" (1943) were created; a series of texts and etchings, which, along with its richly documented history of creation, is being shown to the public for the first time. Friedrich Dürrenmatt was friends with Walter Jonas throughout his life. Dürrenmatt confessed in his later notes: "It was through Jonas that I came to literature."

Excerpt from a TV show with Friedrich Dürrenmatt. CLICK here.

Walter Jonas was multi-talented. He was extremely well-read and knowledgeable about art history, philosophy and religions. Jonas wrote art criticism, poems, prose and corresponded with many greats of the intellectual world. A large part of his written work is now in the manuscript department of the Zurich Central Library.

In the night of January 13th to 14th, 1943, Walter Jonas created the "Book of a Night" together with the art historian Werner Y. Müller and Friedrich Dürrenmatt. Jonas drew and etched, Dürrenmatt scribbled the short texts on the copper plates, Werner Y. Müller arranged, edited...

BOOK OF A NIGHT
10 ETCHINGS, CREATED ON JANUARY 13TH/14TH, 1943.
TEXTS - ETCHINGS (REVERSED) BY FRIEDRICH DÜRRENMATT
IMAGES - WALTER JONAS
CONCEPT - WERNER Y. MÜLLER
Format: 14.5 cm x 39 cm