Iconography in Medieval Spanish Literature

University of Kentucky UKnowledge Spanish Literature European Languages and Literatures 1984 Iconography in Medieval Spanish Literature John E. Keller University of Kentucky Richard P. Kinkade University of Arizona Click here to let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Thanks to the University of Kentucky Libraries and the University Press of Kentucky, this book is freely available to current faculty, students, and staff at the University of Kentucky. Find other University of Kentucky Books at uknowledge.uky.edu/upk. For more information, please contact UKnowledge at [email protected]. Recommended Citation Keller, John E. and Kinkade, Richard P., "Iconography in Medieval Spanish Literature" (1984). Spanish Literature. 23. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_spanish_literature/23 Iconography in Medieval Spanish Literature This page intentionally left blank in Medieval Spanish Literature JOHN E. KELLER AND RICHARD P. KINKADE THE UNIVERSITY PRESS OF KENTUCKY Publication of this book has been assisted by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Copyright @ 1984 by The University Press of Kentucky Scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth, serving Bellarmine College, Berea College, Centre College of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, The Filson Club, Georgetown College, Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, Transylvania University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University. Editorialandsales Offices: Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0024 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Keller, John Esten. Iconography in medieval Spanish literature. ISBN: 978-0-8 131-5605-7 Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. Spanish fiction-To 1500-History and criticism. 2. Spanish fiction-To 1500-Illustrations, 3. Art and literature. 4. Narration (Rhetoric) I. Kinkade, Richard P. 11. Title. PQ6141.K44 1983 863'.1109 83-2478 Contents Preface vii Introduction 1 Las cantigas de Santa Maria 6 El libro de Calila e Digna 4 1 Castigos e documentos para bien uivir 5 2 El libro del Cauallero Czj5ar 60 La uida del Ysopet con sus fabulas bystoriddas 93 Notes 105 Selected Bibliography 111 Index 117 {Color plates follow pages 40 and 1041 This page intentionally left blank Preface question has haunted us from the outset of These were written in Spain from the time of Gil de this work and indeed was partially re- Zamora, who wrote in Latin; Gonzalo de Berceo, who sponsible for our undertaking it: how used good Castilian; and King Alfonso X, who wrote many scholars of medieval Spanish litera- or caused to be written the largest collection or anthol- ture have ever seen the illuminations or other illustra- ogy of Marian miracles in Galician-Portuguese rather tions commissioned by the patrons of the works stu- than in his native Castilian. Those who have compared died in their classes? Even the great critics of medieval the manuscripts of the Cantigas de Santa Maria and Spanish fiction-Menhdez y Pelayo, Amador de 10s their gorgeous illuminations with the unillustrated Rios, Bonilla y San Martin, to name but three-did collections of miracles by these other authors can best not consider it worthwhile to describe the narrative art comprehend what we mean. The illuminated miracles found in such books as the Cantigas de Santa Maria, are memorable, for their miniatures cling to the minds Calila e Digna, and the Libro del Cavallero Cifar. Nor of those who have seen them and serve to intensify the have we until recently made any effort to synchronize stories they illustrate. the two mutually compatible art forms-the written Literary historians and art historians have too often word and the narrative art that visualized it for gone separate ways, the former stressing text, the medieval man. This fault, committed in even the best latter illustrations, leading to a regretable lack of com- handbooks of literary history, is a serious omission in munication and a mutual misunderstanding of inter- the presentation of literary history, since illustrations disciplinary possiblities for study. Students of litera- greatly enhance textual presentation and can even ture (and we among them, we confess) have labored in alter it or color it with novel concepts. considerable ignorance of atelier traditions and the When an educated English-speaking public was possibilities present in their development. And stu- wont to read the Divine Comedy and could view simul- dents of art have overlooked or studied only super- taneously Gustave Dore's compelling and often ter- ficially the illuminations found in the medieval secular rifying engravings, this great book took on a vivid life books we treat. Some of these illustrations have never not quite present in English translation, or indeed in been reproduced anywhere, while others have entire- the original Tuscan. The connection between the ly escaped the notice of both literary scholars and art medieval poet and the nineteenth century artist was historians. powerful enough to reshape in the reader's mind the This leads us to a second question: Must the two sequences illustrated so long after Dante's time. This disciplines-art and literature-continue their sepa- is an extreme case, perhaps, but it is illustrative of the rate and therefore limited progress toward know- influence of visualizations on the reader's perception ledge? Surely the answer must be in the negative. of a text. Illuminated medieval texts, both ecclesiastic- Communication is as possible as it is necessary if com- al and secular, were more esteemed and more memor- prehension of the kind we envisage is to be attained. able than texts of the same works without illumina- As historians of literature and of literature's narrative tions. Consider miracles of the Virgin, for example. techniques in verbal form, we believe this book can viii Preface assist art historians, although we concede it is not graph in museums, palaces, libraries, churches, and written with the competence in art possessed by those other places the various art works needed for the who have made medieval art their life's study. completion of our books. Without this aid, and a How, then, can comprehension and communica- semester's leave of absence for one of us, we could tion be brought about, if we may ask still a third hardly have made more than a start on our project. question?The answer, we believe, is through the com- We render deepest appreciation to Don Agustin parative study of literary content and artistic content. Cano, Ministro Encargado de Asuntos Culturales of The iconography and narrative art of these pictures, the Embassy of Spain in Washington, whose letters of that is, the visualization of the written work, can be introduction brought great success to our investiga- indispensable to literary scholar and art expert alike. tions. Don Carlos GonzPlez Echegaray of the Cuerpo Some investigation, though not a great deal, is being Facultativo de Archivos Bibliotecarios y Arqueo- made with regard to text and visualization of ecclesias- 16gicos and Subdirector General de Bibliotecas, tical works, as we shall show in the course of this book. smoothed our path in various museums. The Director We hope that through this study of the narrative tech- of the Museo del Prado, DonJose Manuel Pitandrade, niques of visualization found in five repositories of as well as the Subdirector, Don Javier Morales, have secular Spanish fiction, including both brief narratives sent us most excellently prepared transparencies of a and more novelesque pieces, we can accomplish two significant part of the Prado's medieval collection. goals: first and foremost, to lead literary historians and Don Manuel Sinchez Mariana of the Cuerpo Faculta- critics of literature (primarily of Spanish literature) to tivo de Archiveros y Bibliotecarios of the Biblioteca some new insights into the interplay of influences Nacional, made it possible to obtain magnificent color between literature and illumination; and secondly, to transparencies of numerous miniatures. Special men- open a virtually unexplored area of Spanish art to art tion, too, must go to Father Eduardo Torra de Arana, historians, both peninsular and foreign, in order to Canon of the Santa Eglesia Metropolitana de La Seo in increase the communication so often lacking between Saragossa, whose kindness in securing for us photo- students of literature and those of the fine arts. graphs of the famous collection of fourteenth- and Our approach thus seeks to be interdisciplinary, fifteenth-century tapestries will greatly enrich our though perforce more literary than visual, since we are studies. Thanks too, are owed to Father Pascual de students primarily of literature and its history. With Galindo, whose definitive study of the tapestries pre- each literary sequence which we summarize or trans- served in the La Seo collection has proved invaluable; late, we offer a parallel discussion of its visualization, and to Carlos Sinchez Garcia, who has generously since we see the two art forms as working mutually and pointed out much about these art works. We aregreat- simultaneously. ly indebted to Dr. Kathleen Kulp-Hill of Eastern What we write is our own interpretation of each Kentucky University for permission to print her picture or set of related pictures in their alliance with translations of the Cantigas de Santa Maria. Spain's text, and our conception of the narrative devices or Consul General to New Orleans, Don Enrique Iran- techniques both artists and writers employed. Insofar zo, has also helped with his encouragement and sup- as possible, we attempt also to indicate how artists and port. From the University of Connecticut came a writers accommodated the nine elements generally handsome grant to aid in the cost of publication, and regarded as making up the structure of narrative: plot, due thanks are made here. We offer grateful ack- conflict, setting, characterization, theme, style, effect, nowledgment, too, to Don Ram6n Bela, Secretario point of view, and mood or tone.

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