9Born in 1936 in Valparaiso, Chile, to a family of ranchers, Claudio Bravo studied for only three years with a master of the Romantic school before he achieved success as a portrait painter at a very young age. After moving to Madrid in 1961, Bravo continued to work as a portrait artist for ten years and became the darling of European high society. Then in 1972, weary of social life and portrait painting, he bought a house in Tangier, where he isolated himself and began work on still lifes, landscapes, and occasional paintings for which he is so well known.

This richly illustrated monograph, the first on Claudio Bravo, features introductory essays by two world-famous writers, the artist's close friends Paul Bowles and Mario Vargas Llosa. They give us a personal view of the man as well as the painter and provide a glimpse into Bravo's extraordinary house in Tangier -- with its eclectic collection of art objects and furnishings and seemingly endless gardens designed in a diversity of styles. Concluding the book, an interview with the artist provides important insights into his philosophy and working methods. The book also includes a catalogue raisonne, lists of exhibitions and collections, and bibliography, making it an invaluable resource for scholars as well as a highly readable profile of a remarkable man.