Lesereise quer Beet 2026: Alexander Schwarz presents his book "Die Königin der Blumenmaler: Rachel Ruysch"

On Wednesday, 2 September, author Alexander Schwarz visits Christophstal as part of the "Bärenschlössle" reading series, organised by Thalia bookshop and Freudenstadt Tourismus. At 19:00 he reads from his new biographical novel about a remarkable painter who, during her lifetime, outsold and outshone Rembrandt himself - Rachel Ruysch!

Amsterdam, 1679. Every time Rachel takes in the colourful bustle around the Dam - the smell of salt, the shouts of sailors, the foreign tongues - she feels as though a door to another world swings open. The only thing that brings her even greater joy is studying under the celebrated flower painter Willem van Aelst, who soon finds he has nothing left to teach this exceptionally gifted young woman. When Rachel falls for portrait painter Juriaen Pool, her life takes a new turn. Yet even as the mother of ten children she never sets down her brush. She is eventually appointed court painter by Elector Johann Wilhelm in Düsseldorf. She also meets the maidservant Emma, whose search for her origins soon draws Rachel into a web of dark power struggles. This fictionalised life story of a world-class artist is for anyone who wants to experience the Golden Age of late 17th-century Amsterdam through the eyes of a woman far ahead of her time.

Alexander Schwarz has lived in the Netherlands since 1990, with a seven-year stint in Iceland (2010-2017). His novels and non-fiction books are grounded in thorough research and frequently focus on women who assert themselves against social constraints. Since 1997 he has co-written travel guides with translator Sabine Burger, alongside books on language, society and Icelandic folk tales. A former programme director, publisher and literary agent, he enjoys photography and music in his spare time. Alexander Schwarz lives in the Dutch countryside with his partner.