Fragments of the many panoramas on art that have gradually materialised before the eyes of a career diplomat are the subject of this new book. He shares them in a style that is sometimes deliberately imaginative. His way of looking at art is definitely not that of a conventional art critic; it is instead that of a genuine art lover. And it is, at times, the amused gaze of someone posing as an artist and having lots of fun doing it – an attitude clearly fostered by the current, loose definition of art or artist. Lastly, it is the point of view of someone who still shares – maybe anachronistically – the idea that art should not be confined to the realm of aesthetic experience, but seen instead as an important factor in shaping our social fabric and helping us cope with the many challenges