A traditional Czech fairy tale, retold and illustrated by Štěpán Zavřel. The first edition, published in 1968 by Nord-Sud Verlag, was titled Salz ist mehr als Gold and marked the beginning of one of Zavřel’s most beloved artistic approaches: watercolor combined with oil pastel. A deep connoisseur of ancient ornamental forms and always in search of the most fitting visual language for each story, Zavřel chose this technique for the cloisonné effect created by the rich texture of oil pastels interacting with the luminosity of watercolor.
A king, in his castle, surrounded by his court, seated at his lavishly set table—everything is richly decorated, everything is precious. Precious like white gold, salt, a vital element in human history, which this fairy tale wisely compares, in those ancient times, to the bonds of family affection.
The works displayed in the museum are created using oil pastel, watercolor, and collage techniques.