Bruce Chatwin: Utz, su novela sobre el mundo del arte

espanolEl escritor britanico Bruce Chatwin (1940-1989) convierte a un coleccionista compulsivo en eje central de su novela Utz. A traves de su protagonista, reflexiona acerca del mundo del arte, rememorando su pasado cuando trabajaba en la casa de subastas Sotheby´s. Su experiencia alli le proporciono unos conocimientos y una mirada que determinarian su vida, aprendio a estudiar una obra de arte, a describirla en pocas palabras y valorar su precio en el mercado. Todo ello se percibe en su estilo narrativo, donde persigue la precision de las descripciones tipicas de los catalogadores. Desarrollo un estilo propio. Ademas, adquirio una red de contactos trascendental alrededor del mundo. Fijo su interes en personalidades peculiares que desembocaron en la creacion de Utz, personificacion de ese entramado de marchantes y coleccionistas que le facilito su puesto de director en el departamento de impresionistas y arte moderno. Al mismo tiempo, su epoca en Sotheby´s desperto en el la eterna disyuntiva entre la posesion, la busqueda de la inmortalidad y la creacion artistica. El presente articulo examina como el autor aborda todos estos temas en la novela. EnglishBritish writer Bruce Chatwin (1940-1989) makes a compulsive collector the central axis of his novel Utz. Through that character, he reflects on the art world remembering his work at the auction house Sotheby´s. His experience there gave him the knowledge and look that would condition his life. He learnt to analyze a work of art, to describe it in just a few words and to value it in the market. All of it can be noticed in his writing style, in which he pursues the kind of the precision observed in cataloguers. He developed his own technique. Besides, he acquired a strong contact network around the world. He put his eyes on peculiar personalities that led to the creation of Utz, personification of all those art dealers and collectors that he met during his time as the head of the firm's Impressionist and Modern Art department. Moreover, his work at Sotheby´s awakened his eternal dilemma between possession, search for immortality and creation. This article examines how the author treats the above topics in his novel.