The surface of Tuymans' small paintings are monochromatic and frail, as if recuperating from a long illness. In the traditions of Flemish and Spanish still-life genre painting, they represent domestic scenes or commonplace objects. They resonate, however, with a sense of the uncanny. Hovering beneath the surface of Tuymans' quiet paintings are deep-seated anxieties that rise to the surface in his depictions of faces or parts of the body. Though modest in scale and sensitive in execution, the work's power lies in conveying a sense of violence or a haunting evocation of lost lives and repressed histories. The interview with Aliaga traces the psychology and sources of Tuymans' work. Loock looks at his paintings through a series of exhibitions and the effect their installation has on our readings of them. Spector chooses "Pillows" to explore the narratives of lost loves and sleepless nights. Tuymans chooses Platonov's "Chevengur" and complements it with his essay "Disenchantment", to reveal his motives and methods. The book is part of a series of studies of important artists of the late-20th century. Each title offers a comprehensive survey of the artist's work, providing analyses and multiple perspectives on contemporary art and its inspiration.