Francisco de Zurbarán (1589-1664) was one of the great Spanish masters of the Baroque period, whose peculiar, deeply Catholic-mystical imagery fascinates us today, even as it has become fundamentally foreign and inaccessible. The crucified Christ, dead martyrs, and raptured, yet magnificently dressed saints, as well as meditating monks or the leaders of long-extinct orders, appear in his predominantly dark-background paintings with a realism that feels almost tangible, yet they seem like messengers from another world. For Zurbarán, a contemporary of Velázquez and Murillo, painting and religious contemplation were two sides of the same exercise. Cees Nooteboom, a connoisseur of Spain and an admirer of Zurbarán, wrote a brilliant introduction to the thoughts and imagery of this enigmatic artist for our monograph published in 2010. The current new edition is being released.