The Wiedmann Bible - Art Edition Black

The Stuttgart artist Willy Wiedmann left behind an extraordinary work: in 3,333 images he created the only complete hand-painted representation of the Old and New Testaments. The original Wiedmann Bible is a continuous leporello with a total length of over a kilometer. The work of art is now appearing for the first time in book form in three exquisitely designed editions. The images are complemented by comments by the artist and selected Bible verses from the new Luther Bible 2017. Wiedmann's dream was to make the Bible accessible to everyone - regardless of which language they speak or whether they can read. From 1984 to 2000 he worked on his opus magnum in the style of polycon painting. Unfortunately, Willy Wiedmann was unable to publish his work during his lifetime; it had disappeared in the attic for years. It was only after his death that his son Martin Wiedmann discovered the fabulous legacy. The ART Edition in black is being published in a limited and numbered edition of 3,000 copies. The two linen-bound volumes in a black slipcase are refined with gold embossing and gold edges

More about the author and contributors:

Wilhelm Richard Heinrich (Willy) Wiedmann, born in Ettlingen in 1929, was a multi-talented artist. He was a painter, sculptor, musician, composer, writer and gallery owner. After studying music at the Stuttgart State University of Music, he studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts there. He exhibited in national and international galleries under various pseudonyms. His musical skills included instruments as diverse as the flute, violin and church organ. He accompanied world stars such as Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald on the double bass. For decades, Wiedmann ran a gallery in Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, which has now reopened under the name "Galerie Wiedmann". Wiedmann's passion, however, was church painting; he designed four churches, including the Pauluskirche in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen and the Martinskirche in Wildberg/Black Forest. His desire to create something new and unprecedented resulted in the creation of the only Bible in the world that an artist illustrated entirely on his own. In 2002, Willy Wiedmann received the Federal Cross of Merit for his social commitment in the field of art and culture. Wiedmann died in 2013 in Bad Cannstatt, Stuttgart.

Martin Wiedmann is the son of the artist Willy Wiedmann. He worked for an international bank for around 40 years. During this time he hardly ever worked with art. When he discovered his father's Bible work in 2014, he nevertheless decided to dedicate his life to the artist's legacy. He founded Wiedmann Media AG, which serves solely to publicize and distribute the Wiedmann Bible. He lives in Lachen in Switzerland with his family, who support him in the "Wiedmann Bible" project.

Martin Luther was born in 1483 to Hans and Margarethe Luder in Eisleben, where he grew up in modest prosperity. From 1501 he studied in Erfurt. After completing his basic academic education, he began studying law until he decided to become a monk. In 1505 he joined the Order of the Augustinian Hermits in Erfurt. He was ordained a priest in 1507 and eventually began studying theology. He was a professor of theology in Wittenberg until his death in 1546. In addition to reforms in the church, schools and social systems, the translation of the Bible is Luther's main work, with which he had a lasting influence on the German language.

Manfred Rieker, born in 1939, lives in Stuttgart. After training as a typesetter, he worked in the advertising industry and has long been one of the best-known photographers and photo designers. He made a name for himself primarily through his advertising shots in the automobile industry and has received numerous international awards.

Text from the German Bible Society