For more than two decades, artist Antonio López dragged his painting gear up and down a high tower to finish his panoramic painting of Madrid. It is typical of the Spaniard: the painting process is a way of getting to know the world better, he thinks. By measuring everything extensively and always staying close to his subject, López manages to flawlessly copy reality. But his work never becomes distant or cold.

Although López was once described as "the greatest realist artist" by American art critic Robert Hughes back in the 1980s, his fame in the Netherlands has not yet achieved anything. Until now. This book serves as a Dutch introduction to the life and work of López. We get to know him personally in an interview and find out more about his technique in articles by various Dutch and Spanish authors.