This publication appears on the occasion of Luc Tuymans' retrospective exhibition in Hungary. With innumerable analyses by arthistorians to precede us, we thought the most fitting and exciting accompaniment to this display would be a collection of writers' reflections on Tuymans' work. Since one of the things to make this retrospective display special is its being the artist's debut in Central-Europe - Hungary and Poland -, we made a point of inviting authors from the region to comment on his art. A writer's perspective will always be more uninhibited than an art historian's. We gave complete liberty to our authors to decide what to reflect on: a picture, Tuymans' activity as a painter, or some other aspect of his personality. The narratives, which share the spirit of the pictures, therefore display a number of personal traits.