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PART ONE - THE FOUR DIAGRAMS OF HENRY DUNANT |
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In Heiden (Appenzell), where he settled in 1887, Henry Dunant lived in seclusion until he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. It was a deeply religious and contemplative period of his life. Rereading the Bible, he became fascinated by the Book of Daniel and the Apocalypse and fervently drew four diagrams which he finished in 1890. Henry Dunant (1828-1910) Diagram A: "La Première Création". 1877-1890. |
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The diagrams, a gift from the Henry Dunant Institute and the Swiss Red Cross, are now part of the Museum's collections. The four large-size works (110 x 80 cm), which were recently restored, make up the first part of the exhibition. These precious documents will later be returned to the Museum's storerooms to preserve their fragile colours. Henry Dunant (1828-1910) Diagram B: "Noé". 1877-1890. |
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Soon after he retired to Heiden, Dunant used his diagrams to explain to a small group of people his prophetic concept of history based on the theories of pastor Louis Gaussen (1790-1863), an important figure of the "Réveil" movement in Geneva. Abandoning the official catechism, Gaussen replaced it with questions and answers taken directly from the Scriptures. Among other things, he affirmed that "with the book of prophecies in his hands," a Christian can "predict the rise and fall of kingdoms and empires ten centuries ahead of time" (Daniel le Prophète). Henry Dunant (1828-1910) Diagram C: "Diagramme symbolique chronologique de quelques Prophéties des Saintes-Ecritures par un Chrétien suisse: le septième jour de la création". 1877-1890. |
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Diagrams B, C and D concern the first resurrection, that of the elect, and the catastrophe that will befall the rest of the world. For Dunant, the destiny of mankind was predetermined; moreover, the end was near since all the chronological sequences that appear on the diagrams stop in 1890. By all indications, Dunant firmly believed in the imminence of the Apocalypse. An interactive computer program enables visitors to understand how the themes dealt with in Dunant's diagrams relate to mythology and biblical history. Henry Dunant (1828-1910) Diagram D: "Diagramme symbolique chronologique de quelques Prophéties des Saintes-Ecritures". 1877-1890.
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