El arte de un tirano: pintura y escultura en El recurso del método de Alejo Carpentier

Carpentier's El recurso del metodo possesses a notable artistic dimension, which is manifested specially through a series of ekphrasis of the dictator's collection of painting and sculptures, and connects directly with the action and tempo of the novel, at the same time offering some exegetic keys and presenting visually the contrast between two worlds (Europe and America, past and present). This paper tracks the artistic references of the novel in the context of Carpentier's encyclopedic knowledge, in order to examine the function and meaning of painting in relation with the characterization of the protagonist and the action.