A collection of art commentary essays featured in the Yomiuri Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun, President Online, and numerous other media. The author, Kunio Nakamura, is a kintsugi (which is a technique for repairing broken vessels with gold or silver lacquer), artist, art director, and writer, active in many fields, and in recent years has been providing many art commentaries at museums and in the media. This book focuses on the “unique lives” of famous historical painters and explores the secrets of their personalities and works, ranging from such masters as Picasso, Van Gogh, Munch, and Monet to popular contemporary artists such as Basquiat and Frida Kahlo. In addition to the text, portraits, representative works, and key items are illustrated with tasteful illustrations by Nakamura himself. The book also includes a section that introduces the portraits and masterpieces, making it a colorful and visually enjoyable read. [Table of Contents] – The strange love of Picasso’s genius / – What did Munch, a beautiful boy, shout at the center of his agony / – Why did Van Gogh cut off his ears / – The twisted love of Egon Schiele, a super express / – Magritte, a man who lived between “reality” and “unreality”…. …and 12 others in all.