Madrid, 1990: an art-loving student comes across a mysterious “master” who aims to reveal to him the secrets hidden behind the paintings kept in the Museo del Prado.

From Botticelli to Bosch, from Titian to Bruegel, the enigmatic master brings the classical interpretation of the works into question, venturing into new guesses and alternative researches about the relationships between art and religion.

Why, for example, in Renaissance paintings such as The Pearl by Raphael or the Virgin of the Rocks by Leonardo, can one observe a child supposed to be John the Baptist, but who looks incredibly like Child Jesus?

The Master of the Prado, referring to the researches of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, assumes that two Messiahs existed, and that evidence of this could be tracked reading the Gospel of Matthew.

The prolific writer Javier Sierra Aragon – published in English by Washington Square Press and Atria Books – was inspired by his own personal history in order to create a novel which combines thriller and art, succeeding in explaining complex subjects to common people.

Launched in Spain in February by Editorial Planeta, this novel has rapidly reached the bestsellers’ chart, remaining at the number one for more than two consecutive months.