Ervin Bossanyi: Vision, Art and Exile.

Ervin Bossanyi: Vision, Art and Exile, edited by Jo Bossanyi and Sarah Brown is a 295 page hardback book, charting the majority, if not all of Bossanyi’s creative life, from his early years in Hungary, through to his time in Germany and beyond. The book has a mix of both colour and black and white illustrations showing various examples of Bossanyi’s work, including painting, sculpture and stained glass.

As mentioned in the editor’s preface, “the authors of this book have written from a number of perspectives. Some are professional scholars, art historians and curators of his legacy, others personal friends and artistic collaborators”. The different sections are written by people with specific, personal knowledge of both Bossanyi and his work giving the book a more personal edge on many biographies, written by people who do not have the same insight as the contributors to this work.

There is a list of Bossanyi’s principal works in all areas, with many pictorial examples and information about where some specific examples of the works are kept. Two of the stained glass windows mentioned in this list are in the possession of The Stained Glass Museum.

At the back of the book there is an extensive bibliography compiled by the editors, assisted by Joseph Spooner, with all references known to them, covering exhibition catalogues, articles about exhibitions, general work, interviews and obituaries, work in various media, and a breakdown of articles about specific works in different medias.

Jo Bossanyi and Sarah Brown have put together an essential book for anyone who appreciates any of Bossanyi’s work, no matter the medium.