Children’s and Young Adult

An illustrator and writer, Renáta Fučíková, (born in 1964), has added another big name to her portfolio of famous Czechs from past centuries: after T. G. Masaryk (2006) or J. A. Comenius (2008) she prepared, in the form of an artist’s book in both words and images, the life story and work of the composer Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904). She approached his story, framed to this day by fresh and globally frequented pieces such as Rusalka, New World Symphony or Slavonic Dances, in a realistic shortcut which she developed using poetic interludes and cosmic symbolism. The book serves not only as a catchy guide of a well-developed talent but also as a general introduction to the world of classical music, as well as art and culture. It is a textbook designed as a highly stylised comic – and communicative in a universal manner.