Our humble blog can't do justice to the amazing Lisbeth Zwerger.

If you have yet to discover the work of Austrian artist Lisbeth Zwerger, you have a marvellous treat in store.

Born in Vienna in 1954, she studied at the Applied Arts Academy of Vienna and was originally recognized in 1975 as a painter.

























She still exhibits widely - but her admirers worldwide hope that she continues to concentrate her skills on book illustration.

Lisbeth Zwerger's first book illustrations appeared in 1977 and she was immediately hailed as a worthy successor to the great illustrators of the Nineteenth Century.

Her style is unmistakable: superbly realised ink wash drawing, enhanced by water colours with monochromic shades of brown and greyish blue.

Since then, she has received countless awards, including the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1990.

The Washington Post called Lisbeth's The Wizard of Oz "the loveliest edition imaginable." It was selected by The New York Times as one of the "Best Illustrated Books of the Year."
But the best way to discover Lisbeth Zwanger is probably in the pages of "The Art of Lisbeth Zwanger" - one of those books that bibliophiles never, ever, let out of their sight.

Levitated Apples was fortunate enough to borrow a treasured copy from collector Heather Stormes - but if you don't have such trusting friends, we suggest you scour the web for a book of your own.

The mere fact that such genius exists is enough to change your entire outlook on life.