Everything is Happening: Journey into a Painting

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Description

Michael Jacobs had been haunted by Velazquez's enigmatic masterwork for most of his adult life. In this fascinating book, Jacobs searches for the ultimate significance of the painting by following the trails of associations and memories from each individual character in the picture. From the Italian roots of the mysterious dwarf, to Mastiff breeders and the complex politics of Golden-Age Madrid, from the theatrical youth of Velazquez in Seville to the seedy bars of turbulent contemporary Spain, Jacobs dissolves the barriers between the past and the present, the real and the illusory. This is the last book by a versatile and highly revered writer. Tragically, Michael Jacobs died in January 2014.

Author Bio

MICHAEL JACOBS was born in Italy and studied Art History at the Courtauld Institute of Art. He was the author of Andes (Granta 2010) and The Robber of Memories (Granta 2012). He divided his time between London and a remote Spanish village. He died in January 2014.