Despacio el mundo

Tuning an instrument, Ramón Andrés reminds us, is in a certain way an attempt to fix in a moment of perfection the eternal coming and going of the world around us; the endeavour not only of the musician, but also of so many painters of all ages. That is why this particular art gallery of the ear offers the reader a splendid walk through painting from the 15th to the 18th century with music as a harmonious guiding thread: more than fifty pictorial works in which musicians and their instruments take on special importance, and which in turn serve the author to trace a very personal history of music, art and thought of the Renaissance and Baroque with great sensitivity and erudition. An essential essay for anyone who finds solace both in the beauty of music and in the silent contemplation of a painting.