This luminous volume showcases the visionary, archetypally charged paintings of Swiss artist Peter Birkhäuser. Central to the book’s lasting power is the poetic and psychologically rich commentary by Marie-Louise von Franz. Drawing on Birkhäuser’s dream diaries and personal selection of images, von Franz interprets each painting with subtlety and depth, revealing archetypal patterns that emerge from the unconscious through art. Her words function less as critique than as active imagination in dialogue with the image. First published in 1981 and now expanded with additional paintings and von Franz’s 1964 essay, this bilingual English-German edition is both a visual and symbolic treasury. A must-have for Jungians, artists, and lovers of psychological symbolism in contemporary art.
Paintings by Peter Birkhäuser
Commentary: Marie-Louise von Franz