Claudio Bravo Paintings and Drawings (1964/2004)

Born 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.<p>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.