Friedrich Dürrenmatt became famous for his philosophical mystery novels, most notably The Pledge (1958), and provocative and darkly comic plays such as The Visit (1956). Throughout his life, his main focus lay on the theatre; he combined hands-on theatrical work with extensive theorizing on his own brand of epic theatre. A talented visual artist, he left a distinguished body of painting and graphic work that complements his literary oeuvre. He died in Neuchâtel in 1990, universally regarded as one of Switzerland’s greatest modern writers.