A gorgeous art book that also tells the unbelievable story of Joseph Baqué, a police officer and secretive artist who created 1500 imaginary creatures during the fascist era in Spain (1930s-60s) and told not a soul about them during his lifetime. Part Medieval-style bestiary, part natural history treatise, this remarkable body of work by Joseph Baqué came to the public's attention only in 2011. With this book, author Brian Chidester has penned the first-ever critical biography of this enigmatic creator and of his strange, whimsical creations. Threading 20th century art history, Spain's fascist era, and what record there is of Baqué's personal life, Chidester presents a full picture of one of the most fascinating "outsider art" careers of the 20th century.