Born from a theatrical idea by Brigitte Maury and Dominique Paravel, with the patronage of the cities of Paris and Venice and the collaboration of Donata Dal Molin, Flavio Cortella, and Marta Louvier, this book was initially published only in French. In 2002, it was published in Italian by La Margherita publishing house.
With this book, the master stays true to one of his core beliefs: the images must tell a story while also surprising the viewer. Strong in this conviction, Zavřel poured all of his creative genius and his artistic experience as an illustrator into the pages of this picture book.
The story tells of a child who embarks on a journey to discover an underwater city he has heard about in legends. On his journey, he encounters many strange characters, all in the form of fish, and meets an unlikely wise old man, the Doge, who reveals to him how to bring the enchanted city, Venice, back to the surface. Thanks to a ring—once used by the Doges for Venice’s marriage to the sea—the miracle occurs, and the submerged city rises from the waters in a swirl of fish and magical figures. The entire story unfolds in fantastic and dreamy underwater landscapes, alternating with more festive scenes filled with characters that seem to have emerged from the subconscious: the fish market, tourists, and a masked ball…
The works you see exhibited in the museum are painted in watercolor.