The Mineralogical Record, Mar/Apr 2003
Eberhard Equit is definitely one of the pre-eminent mineral artists--if not the pre-eminent mineral artist--of our time. His book Meisterwerke Sachsische Minerale (Masterpieces of Saxon Minerals) introduced mineral collectors worldwide to his superb watercolor, gouache, and tempera paintings of crystals. It has been eight years since the publication of that landmark volume, and now his latest tour de force, The World's Mineral Masterpieces, has been published. Whereas the first book portrayed 98 specimens, this latest one depicts 220 specimens in 108 full-color plates.
Equit, who hails from Berlin, traveled more than 120,000 miles and visited thirty-plus collectors over a seven-year period to make the paintings for this beautiful volume. The book, which is limited to a print run of seven hundred copies, is massive (11.4 x 14.6 inches). It is bound in blue leather, embossed in gold, and comes in a matching fabric-covered slipcase. The text is in both English and German. All of the minerals are printed life-size in as many as seven colors (many presses only print in four or five colors). For the metallic minerals, metallic inks were used, adding to their realism. While on the subject of realism, Equit's paintings are nearly photographic in quality. He frequently works with a magnifying glass using brushes with as few as a couple of hairs. His attention to detail is superb and frequently finds him measuring portions of a specimen to ensure accuracy. One of my favorite paintings is of a large smoky quartz and amazonite that you would swear was a photograph. The book begins with a number of entertaining stories relating to the specimens portrayed, written by their owners.
I have only two small criticisms of the book. In the stories section there are no references to the plates or page numbers of the specimens being discussed. With a little work the specimens in question can be found, but in-text references would have been helpful. Also, the quality of the specimens depicted seems to be rather uneven, with not all deserving of the appellation masterpiece. These are, however, minor complaints, and the book will remain in my library as a cherished and much-admired addition.
-Jeffrey A. Scovil
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