Adorable Adele: A Modern Fairy Tale

by Peter Stephan Jungk, John Martinez (Illustrator)

The beautifully rendered children's book "Adorable Adele" tells the story of Adele Bloch-Bauer, the elegant daughter of a Jewish Viennese banking family, who would grow up to marry the wealthy sugar manufacturer Ferdinand Bloch and later be immortalized in one of the greatest portraits of the twentieth century, Gustav Klimt's "Adele Bloch-Bauer I" (1907). The painting was confiscated by the Nazis when Ferdinand Bloch, by then a widower, fled Austria in 1939. After spending many years in a Viennese museum, it was finally reclaimed by Bloch-Bauer's niece, Maria, who parted with it in 2006, knowing that she wanted this long-lost masterpiece to be seen by as many people as possible. It is now one of the most important pieces in the collection of New York's renowned Neue Galerie. Illustrated with all of the pattern, color and gilt of fin-de-siècle Vienna, this sophisticated story book is a delight for children and adults alike.

Genres: Art

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2009

About the author

Peter Stephan Jungk (December 19, 1952 in Santa Monica, California) is an American, German speaking novelist.

Peter Stephan Jungk was born to futurologist Robert Jungk. He grew up in the United States and after 1957 in Vienna. From 1968 to 1970 he attended the Robert-Steiner-School in Berlin. He lived in Salzburg from 1970 till he took his Matura in 1972. In 1973 Peter Stephan Jungk worked with the theater of Basel as an assistant director. From 1974 to 1976 he studied at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles.

From 1976 to 1979 he lived in Salzburg again. In 1979 he worked with Peter Handke on filming Handke's The Left-Handed Woman as an assistant director. In 1980 Jungk attended a Torah School in Jerusalem. He moved back to Vienna in 1981. Since 1988 he is living in Paris with his wife, photographer Lillian Birnbaum. In 1994 their daughter Adah Dylan was born.

Peter Stephan Jungk is an author of novels, essays and scripts. In some cases he also directed the movie version of his own works. Besides that he translates from English.

In January 2013 the opera 'The Perfect American' by Philip Glass, based on Jungk's novel of the same name premièred at Teatro Real in Madrid.

Peter Stephan Jungk is a member of the Austrian Pen Club.

Reviews

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended for all the art and art history's lovers. A wonderful book about Gustav klimt's masterpiece. I have had the chance to see this painting at an impressive gustav klimt's exhibition in Paris ( at the grand palais)

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cool idea. Very elementary. Written for very young children (age 5-6?)

[Redgie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations. Fans of Gustav Klimt must check out this book!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful story of the Gustav Klimt painting and exquisite illustrations for the lady in gold.