The unique illustrations Antonio Saura (1930–1998) created for the adventures of Pinocchio embody first-class artistry. Between 1990 and 1992, Saura spent a great deal of his time working on this project. He read Carlo Collodi’s original, studied previous editions, and finally decided to base his illustrations on Christine Nöstlinger’s true-to-form, humorous new version of the book, Der neue Pinocchio (The New Pinocchio). Nöstlinger’s straightforward, vivid prose influenced Saura’s work: the pen-and-ink drawings could hardly be more subtle; their effect is dynamic and spontaneous, and many of the brightly colored washes recall paintings by children.
This book was published in 1994 and became a tremendous success in Spain, receiving a prize for the best art book of the year. Based on a new, authorized reprography, this unique artist’s book is now finally being published in a German-language edition.