BOCHORAKOVA – 1944 Kristus

Helena Bochořáková’s wordless Kristus is a series of 32 woodcuts illustrating the life of Christ. Done at a time when artists in that part of Europe tried to avoid politically sensitive topics.

Story Arc

NOTE: There is no story arc. Kristus is a series of images illustrating a Christian story familiar to many people. Without foreknowledge of the story, it is not possible to figure it out from the images alone. Like David Beronä, I don’t view it as a wordless story and have listed it under the Not-Quite tab on this site.

The above woodcut is a good example. It shows Christ riding a donkey into Jerusalem. He is entering the city to celebrate Passover shortly before his crucifixion. It is known as The Triumphal Entry or Palm Sunday. Crowds welcomed him, waving palm branches and laying cloaks on the ground. Riding a young donkey, he was fulfilling the prophecy of a humble, peaceful king.

This is not obvious to a viewer unless they already know the story.

Bibliographic details

• Title: Kristus – 32 drevorytu k Novemu Zakonu (translated: Christ – 32 woodcuts for the New Testament)
• Author and Illustrator: Helena Bochořáková Dittrichová
• Introduction: 3 pages by Czech creative artist, František Kubišta
• Year: 1944
• Publisher/Printer: as per the half-title page, “Printed and published at the cost of a Newspaper, Prague,” i.e., appears to be anonymous.
• Place of publication: Prague
• Copyright: artist
• Size: Octavo 17.5 x 24 cm
• Dust jacket: doubtful
• Binding: hard cover
• Language: Czech titles, etc
• Paginated: unpaginated
• Printed: recto
• Edition: 30 copies are numbered and signed as well as a Trade edition
• Release price (as per the half-title): 282K

HBD almost certainly turned to this subject in 1944 – during the occupation – because she wanted to publish something, and the work needed to not provoke the Nazi censors. In the photobooks genre, there are many similar examples; the important photographers who were not marked and deported often passed the war years by photographing churches.

This is the only wordless woodcut book to be completed and published by Bochořáková-Dittrichová during the Second World War, as, like many artists in occupied Czechoslovakia she largely avoided producing or issuing any work publicly which could result in a visit from the Gestapo. As the war drew to a close, she turned her attention to what was generally considered to be both a “safe” subject, and one which provided a theme of hope to her audience in a time of great terror. Like the photographer Jaromir Funke and others, she turned to religion. Kristus, depicts the story of Christ in (32) original woodcuts, with a preface by the artist’s friend and confidant, František Kubišta.

James Steerman: as per email March 20, 2021 Steerman to Martens

German edition of Kristus??

I recall seeing a note (source I can’t recall) to the effect that Kristus was published in German as well as this Czech edition. If anyone has information about this, please get in touch with me at wn@wordlessnovels.com

Kristus Limited Edition – 30 copies

• Limitation page says 30 copies on special paper are numbered and signed.
• Signed on title page as is typical of the artist, numbered on colophon
• full gray cloth boards
• woodcut title in black on front board.
• on special paper

Translation of colophon/limitation page

Helena Bochořáková-Dittrichová

KRISTUS

Woodcuts of the New Testament

Printed by Noviny, Prague 30 copies on

special paper are numbered and signed.

Print number

Kristus Trade Edition

Translation of the limitation/colophon page of the Trade copy of Kristus:

Helena Bochořáková-Dittrichová

KRISTUS

Woodcuts of the New Testament

Printed by Noviny, Prague

Price of the book 282 Κ.

• This colophon page varies slightly from the limited edition. The Trade edition gives a price; there is no information on how many Trade copies were printed. With other wordless books, Bochořáková typically did a limited edition and then 300 Trade copies.

Bibliographic information

• A woodcut label has been pasted onto the front cover.
• COLLECTING NOTE – A number of copies have deficiencies, and this may reflect the shortcomings of wartime production:
  • Boards
    • Most copies have curved boards due to defective construction, presumably because the components in the boards expand or contract at different rates.

• The cloth tape used on the spine is fragile and often tears. One can often find multiple tears in the spine of a single book.

COMMENTS

If you disagree with something on this page or have a comment please contact me
wn at wordlessnovels.com

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