Aschenborn

Artist: Dieter Aschenborn
Publisher: Gamsberg
Windhoek 1989
Cloth cover with dustjacket in illustrated box, 23x29 cm, 100 pages, 48 illustrations

Our description:

This big size and exlusive book with illustrations from Dieter Aschenborn is a collector's object. Aschenborn, son of the famous artist Hans Anton Aschenborn, was born in Okahandja in 1915.

During his career he developed his admired style in illustrating especially the flora and fauna of Southwestafrika in pencil drawings. Here, 48 of these drawings of animals and plants are presented with their notations in English, German, Afrikaans ans Latin.

Preface:

As far back as I can remember I have felt a predilection for drawing trees and animals. The first Bushman school books I illustrated are proof of this. When Dr. Viljoen joined the Bureau of Native Languages in 1972 and saw these books, he suggested that I should publish a book featuring trees and animals.

At the beginning of the eighties my soul companion Ingrid, strongly encouraged me to compile a calendar of trees and animals. During 1987 I showed some of the drawings for this calendar to Dr. Viljoen of Gamsberg Publishers - now they form the first pages of the present volume: ASCHENBORN. Numerous sketches collected over many years form the basis of this book.

Working with heart and soul through many nights and through countless hours I honed them to what is shown on the following pages: the trees and animals so characteristic of our country, easily recognisable yet full of life and movement. Though only drawn in pencil the landscapes had to breathe shimmering heat, bushes and trees to blossom in full splen-dour, animals seeking their shade in the heat of daymerging into it.

My thanks to Ingrid for patiently bearing with me during the countless long hours of work; to Polla Swart who made possible my visits to Etosha; to Mr. W. Giess for helping me with the names of trees and bushes, and last but not least to Dr. Hans Viljoen who through his enthusiasm and generosity made possible the creation of this book.