Los milagros de la vida / The Miracles of Life Format: Cloth Over Boards

In 16th-century Antwerp, a painter is tasked with completing a diptych of the Virgin Mary left unfinished by its original artist. His model, a young Jewish girl, develops a profound bond with the infant she poses as the Christ Child. Amid political unrest, art, inspiration, and fate intertwine in a story of tenderness and unexpected miracles.

Stefan Zweig was one of the most widely read authors of the first half of the 20th century, and he was a key figure in understanding the evolution of interwar Europe. His body of work, including novels, short stories, essays, biographies, and poetry, is characterized by its nuanced portrayal of emotions and steadfast pro-European sentiment amid the rise of fascism and Stalinism. His life and work were strongly shaped by exile. In 1936, during Europe's darkest period, Zweig fled first to London, then to New York, and finally settled in Petró polis, Brazil. Confronted with the spread of Nazism in regions such as Asia and the Middle East, Zweig believed Europe was on the verge of collapse. Unable to accept the destruction of the continent he knew, he took his own life in 1942. Today, we remember Stefan Zweig as an exceptional chronicler and witness to the collapse of Europe's social and political order during his lifetime. Susa Monteiro lives in Beja, the city where she was born. She studied visual performance at the CITEN School of Theater, Film, and Animation. Since its inauguration in 2005, she has been responsible for the graphic design and has co-organized the Beja International Comic Festival and the Beja Comic Library. She has illustrated books and covers for various publishers, institutions, and projects. Her book Sonho (Pato Ló gico, 2018) was published in Brazil and Italy, receiving an honorable mention in the National Illustration Award. Since 2004, she has been a regular illustrator for the Portuguese press. She did the graphic design and art direction for some scenes in the animated film Nayola by José Miguel Ribeiro. She recently created the commemorative coin "Unicorn" for Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda, which is included in a collection of mythological creatures. She is currently directing the animated short film Vagabundo for the production company Praç a Filmes.