▁break ▁with ▁his ▁previous ▁sty list ic ▁constraints . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁he ▁achieved ▁an ▁art istic ▁break through ▁with ▁his ▁painting ▁The ▁World ' s ▁W ound , ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁a ▁long ▁series ▁of ▁works ▁painted ▁directly ▁from ▁un cons cious ▁dream ▁images . ▁ ▁His ▁new ▁works ▁were ▁not ▁well ▁received ▁by ▁the ▁Swiss ▁art ▁community , ▁and ▁it ▁took ▁several ▁years ▁before ▁they ▁would ▁achieve ▁sufficient ▁recognition ▁to ▁provide ▁B irk hä user ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁with ▁a ▁satisf actory ▁income . ▁ ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁initial ▁support ▁for ▁his ▁new ▁work ▁came ▁from ▁a ▁younger ▁audience , ▁largely ▁based ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁his ▁wife ▁of ▁ 3 2 ▁years ▁died , ▁and ▁he ▁developed ▁a ▁serious ▁lung ▁compla int . ▁ ▁Nevertheless , ▁he ▁produced ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁his ▁most ▁significant ▁paint ings ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁five ▁years ▁of ▁his ▁life . ▁ ▁B irk hä user ▁died ▁in ▁Bin ningen ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁a ▁selection ▁of ▁his ▁later ▁works ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁book ▁Light ▁from ▁the ▁Dark ness : ▁The ▁P aint ings ▁of ▁Peter ▁B irk hä user , ▁edited ▁and ▁introduced ▁by ▁his ▁daughter ▁and ▁son , ▁Eva ▁W ert ans ch lag ▁and ▁Kas par ▁B irk hä user , ▁with ▁comment ary ▁on ▁the ▁paint ings ▁by ▁Marie - Lou ise ▁von ▁Franz .