BOOKS
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BOOK CHAPTERS AND ARTICLES
Journal of Art Historiography, 2023
This article analyses the sophisticated performance of cultural nationalism in the first instalme... more This article analyses the sophisticated performance of cultural nationalism in the first instalment of España artística y monumental. It examines how the work’s creators interpreted the Catholic identity of Spain through their political viewpoint aligned with the Partido Moderado, the Spanish liberal conservative party; the process by which they sought to make that identity real, concrete, and persuasive, and the roles of historian, politician, and architect played by the work’s illustrator: painter Genaro Pérez Villaamil. Special attention is paid to the intellectual framework that enabled the project, with a particular focus on the epistemology of Romantic historicism and aesthetics, the understanding of the nation as a civilisation, and the weight assigned to architecture as historical proof. The article also scrutinises the readership experience in order to reveal a potential unusually effective nationalist performance of España artística y monumental in its strategic sequencing of monuments, its interpretation of these monuments through a simultaneously visual and verbal discourse, and the broad dissemination achieved by the work thanks to its printed medium.
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Romantic Spain: David Roberts and Genaro Pérez Villaamil, 2021
There is a Spanish version of this publication.
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The Long Lives of Medieval Art and Architecture, ed. by Sarah Thompson and Jennifer Feltman, Routledge, 219, 209-226, 2019
On September 5, 1942, Francisco Franco paraded the Victory Cross (908) in Oviedo as the closing a... more On September 5, 1942, Francisco Franco paraded the Victory Cross (908) in Oviedo as the closing act of a religious procession which was part of a commemoration of the death of Alfonso II. The act per se had no value beyond the anecdotal, but when examined from the perspective of the formation of national memories it reveals the complex agency that the Victory Cross had as a memory object. At that moment, the Victory Cross transformed Franco into a charismatic and providential saviour of Spain, while the cross became the symbol of his aggrandized victory in the Civil War. This momentous transformation is analyzed in this essay through the mechanisms inherent in practices of collective remembrance, paying special attention to how the memories already embodied by the cross and Franco were recalled and transformed in order to explain and legitimize his authority and vision of Spain.
El 5 de Septiembre de 1942, Francisco Franco desfiló enarbolando la Cruz de la Victoria (908) en Oviedo como acto final de una procesión religiosa que formaba parte de la commemoración de la muerte de Alfonso II. El acto en si no tendría mas que una relevancia anecdótica a no ser que se examine bajo la perspectiva de la formación de memorias nacionales, en cuyo caso revela la compleja agencia de la Cruz de la Victoria como un objeto capaz de generar memorias. En ese momento, la Cruz de la Victoria transformó a Franco en un salvador de España providencial y carismático, mientras que la cruz se convirtió en el símbolo de su engrandecida victoria en la Guerra Civil. Esta transformación transcendental es analyzada en este ensayo a través de los mecanismos inherentes a las prácticas de recuerdos colectivos, prestando atención especial a cómo las memorias que estaban ya previamente associadas con Franco y la cruz fueron recordades y transformadas con el fin de legitimizar y explicar su autoridad y visión de España.
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La Formación artística: Creadores-historiadores-espectadores, Santander, Universidad de Cantabria, pp. 805-816, 2018
Esta comunicación explora la mirada pintoresca en las litografías de la España artística y monume... more Esta comunicación explora la mirada pintoresca en las litografías de la España artística y monumental (1842-1850) como un código de reconocimiento de la realidad y capaz de generar significados. Se argumenta que estas litografías son intermediarias entre el espectador y una realidad mediatizada por los discursos prevalentes en la época acerca de la naturaleza, el gótico, la identidad nacional y la experiencia estética.
NB El texto de la comunicación incluye numerosos pasajes en cursiva ajenos a las intenciones del autor y no deben ser considerados como énfasis intencionados.
This paper explores the picturesque gaze in the lithographs from España artística y monumental (1842-1850), as a code for recognizing reality and able to generate meaning. It is argued that these lithographs are intermediaries between the viewer and a reality whose conception in mediated by prevalent discourses on nature, the Gothic style, national identity, and the aesthetic experience.
NB The text includes numerous passages in italics that were not intended by the author and should be disregarded as intentional emphasis in the construction of the arguments.
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The Idea of the Gothic Cathedral: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Meanings of the Medieval Edifice in the Modern Period, ed. by Stephanie A. Glasser, Brepols, pp. 47-80, 2018
For those interested in the theory of the Saracen origin of the Gothic and its impact on the eval... more For those interested in the theory of the Saracen origin of the Gothic and its impact on the evaluation of the Gothic, this paper contains more information about this topic than "The Making of the Saracen Style".
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Journal of Art HIstoriography, 2017
This review analyzes the contribution of Tom Nickson´s study from the position given to Spain wit... more This review analyzes the contribution of Tom Nickson´s study from the position given to Spain within European Gothic by the Anglophone historiography. It argues that Nickson´s book is a radical departure from previous historiography, which had condemned Toledo Cathedral, and all Spanish gothic monuments, because they were thought to be mere copies of European models. Nickson, however, convincingly argues that Toledo Cathedral is a monument as interesting as its canonical French and English counterparts. He does so by employing a holistic, integrated, and diachronic approach, with an impressive amount of information, much of it new, which addresses some of the latest concerns in the historiography of art, the humanities, and the social sciences, such as the creation of an identity through the creation of memories.
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Envisioning Others: Race, Color, and the Visual in Iberia and Latin-America, ed. Pamela Patton, Brill, pp. 266-302, 2016
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The article examines the Observations in a Tour to Portugal & Spain, 1760, by John Earl of Strath... more The article examines the Observations in a Tour to Portugal & Spain, 1760, by John Earl of Strathmore & Thomas Pitt, Esq., in the context of the discussions about the origin of the Gothic in the eighteenth century. One of the most popular theories argued that the Gothic had an Arab origin, a theory that has been traditionally attributed to Christopher Wren. This article draws attention to a different and earlier version of the theory which proposed Spain as the cradle of the Gothic. It argues that Thomas Pitt had the mission to determine whether this theory was supported by Spanish medieval monuments. Although Pitt does not appear mentioned in printed histories of Gothic architecture, his refutation of the theory was crucial for the rejection of an Arab origin of the Gothic where it mattered most, in the medievalist avant-garde at Cambridge. It also placed the interaction between Islamic and Christian works and artists at the heart of the study of Spanish medieval art and architecture.
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Las historias del arte generales escritas por historiadores anglosajones presentan un mapa de la ... more Las historias del arte generales escritas por historiadores anglosajones presentan un mapa de la arquitectura gótica en el que España brilla por su ausencia. En este artículo se indaga cómo, cuándo y porqué se inicio esta tradición de marginación del gótico español, concluyendo que se remonta al historiador de la arquitectura victoriano James Fergusson. Por una parte, Fergusson argumentó que los edificios españoles eran imitaciones imperfectas de modelos europeos, y por otra que los españoles eran una raza semítica carente de genio artístico e incapaz de crear una arquitectura de valor. Estos argumentos de tipo formal y etnológico le llevaron a concluir que la frontera sur del gótico acababa en los Pirineos y debería excluir España. A un nivel más profundo, sin embargo, lo que de verdad se estaba cuestionando no era el mapa del gótico, sino el de la Europa occidental, y si España merecía ser incluído en él.
The surveys of art history written by anglophone scholars picture a map of the Gothic architecture that leaves Spain out. This paper inquiries into when, how, and why this marginalization begun, tracing it back to the Victorian historian of architecture James Fergusson. On the one hand, Fergusson argued that the Spanish monuments were imperfect imitations of European models. On the other hand, he claimed that the Spaniards were a semitic race, lacking artistic genius and unable to create any architecture of worth. These formal and ethnological arguments led him to conclude that the southern border of the map of Gothic architecture should end at the Pyrenees and exclude Spain. At a deeper level, however, what was really at stake was not the extension of the map of the gothic, but of Western Europe, and whether Spain deserved to be included in it.
Esta copia del artículo contiene correcciones de varias erratas contenidas en la publicación original. En numerosos casos, ésto ha afectado la maquetación pero no la paginación.
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For more information of the theories of an Eastern/Arab/Moorish/Saracen origin of the Gothic plea... more For more information of the theories of an Eastern/Arab/Moorish/Saracen origin of the Gothic please see my other publication "The Gothic-Moorish Cathedral".
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The article inquires into the reasons behind the unusual -and unknown- interest in Spanish mediev... more The article inquires into the reasons behind the unusual -and unknown- interest in Spanish medieval art paid by Thomas Pitt during his trip of 1760. His observations in this regard reveal a great influence by the most avant-garde circles of British medievalism, as well as that his interest had been fueled in great part by his intention to determine whether the Gothic could have had an Hispano-Arabic origin. The circulation of his observations, as well as the impact that they had, both for the study of Gothic in general, and for the study of Spanish medieval art in particular, are also examined.
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REVIEWS
Journal of Art Historigraphy, 2021
Review of: Imago Urbis. Las ciudades españolas vistas por los viajeros (siglos XVI-XIX), Luis Saz... more Review of: Imago Urbis. Las ciudades españolas vistas por los viajeros (siglos XVI-XIX), Luis Sazatornil Ruiz and Vidal de la Madrid Álvarez (eds), Gijón (Asturias): Ediciones Trea and Museo de Bellas Artes de Asturias, 2019.
This richly illustrated publication examines urban views of Spanish cities by Spanish and European travellers, from the 16th century to the 19th century. It was published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Museo de Bellas Artes de Asturias, Spain, in 2019 and consists of three introductory essays and a catalogue. The essays examine the specific problems of the illustrated book, a historical survey that provides an unifying narrative for the pieces in the catalogue, and a short history of urban views of Spanish cities in the early modern period. The catalogue entries are substantial, rigorous, updated and remarkably well illustrated. The ambitious time span, number of geographical areas covered, and variety of nationalities of the travellers, set Imago Urbis apart from previous studies, which are generally limited to a specific region, period, artist or nationality of the representations, thereby providing a unique, comprehensive, and cohesive study which is poised to become a fundamental source of information on the topic.
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Hispanic Research Journal, 2020
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El 5 de Septiembre de 1942, Francisco Franco desfiló enarbolando la Cruz de la Victoria (908) en Oviedo como acto final de una procesión religiosa que formaba parte de la commemoración de la muerte de Alfonso II. El acto en si no tendría mas que una relevancia anecdótica a no ser que se examine bajo la perspectiva de la formación de memorias nacionales, en cuyo caso revela la compleja agencia de la Cruz de la Victoria como un objeto capaz de generar memorias. En ese momento, la Cruz de la Victoria transformó a Franco en un salvador de España providencial y carismático, mientras que la cruz se convirtió en el símbolo de su engrandecida victoria en la Guerra Civil. Esta transformación transcendental es analyzada en este ensayo a través de los mecanismos inherentes a las prácticas de recuerdos colectivos, prestando atención especial a cómo las memorias que estaban ya previamente associadas con Franco y la cruz fueron recordades y transformadas con el fin de legitimizar y explicar su autoridad y visión de España.
NB El texto de la comunicación incluye numerosos pasajes en cursiva ajenos a las intenciones del autor y no deben ser considerados como énfasis intencionados.
This paper explores the picturesque gaze in the lithographs from España artística y monumental (1842-1850), as a code for recognizing reality and able to generate meaning. It is argued that these lithographs are intermediaries between the viewer and a reality whose conception in mediated by prevalent discourses on nature, the Gothic style, national identity, and the aesthetic experience.
NB The text includes numerous passages in italics that were not intended by the author and should be disregarded as intentional emphasis in the construction of the arguments.
The surveys of art history written by anglophone scholars picture a map of the Gothic architecture that leaves Spain out. This paper inquiries into when, how, and why this marginalization begun, tracing it back to the Victorian historian of architecture James Fergusson. On the one hand, Fergusson argued that the Spanish monuments were imperfect imitations of European models. On the other hand, he claimed that the Spaniards were a semitic race, lacking artistic genius and unable to create any architecture of worth. These formal and ethnological arguments led him to conclude that the southern border of the map of Gothic architecture should end at the Pyrenees and exclude Spain. At a deeper level, however, what was really at stake was not the extension of the map of the gothic, but of Western Europe, and whether Spain deserved to be included in it.
Esta copia del artículo contiene correcciones de varias erratas contenidas en la publicación original. En numerosos casos, ésto ha afectado la maquetación pero no la paginación.
This richly illustrated publication examines urban views of Spanish cities by Spanish and European travellers, from the 16th century to the 19th century. It was published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Museo de Bellas Artes de Asturias, Spain, in 2019 and consists of three introductory essays and a catalogue. The essays examine the specific problems of the illustrated book, a historical survey that provides an unifying narrative for the pieces in the catalogue, and a short history of urban views of Spanish cities in the early modern period. The catalogue entries are substantial, rigorous, updated and remarkably well illustrated. The ambitious time span, number of geographical areas covered, and variety of nationalities of the travellers, set Imago Urbis apart from previous studies, which are generally limited to a specific region, period, artist or nationality of the representations, thereby providing a unique, comprehensive, and cohesive study which is poised to become a fundamental source of information on the topic.
El 5 de Septiembre de 1942, Francisco Franco desfiló enarbolando la Cruz de la Victoria (908) en Oviedo como acto final de una procesión religiosa que formaba parte de la commemoración de la muerte de Alfonso II. El acto en si no tendría mas que una relevancia anecdótica a no ser que se examine bajo la perspectiva de la formación de memorias nacionales, en cuyo caso revela la compleja agencia de la Cruz de la Victoria como un objeto capaz de generar memorias. En ese momento, la Cruz de la Victoria transformó a Franco en un salvador de España providencial y carismático, mientras que la cruz se convirtió en el símbolo de su engrandecida victoria en la Guerra Civil. Esta transformación transcendental es analyzada en este ensayo a través de los mecanismos inherentes a las prácticas de recuerdos colectivos, prestando atención especial a cómo las memorias que estaban ya previamente associadas con Franco y la cruz fueron recordades y transformadas con el fin de legitimizar y explicar su autoridad y visión de España.
NB El texto de la comunicación incluye numerosos pasajes en cursiva ajenos a las intenciones del autor y no deben ser considerados como énfasis intencionados.
This paper explores the picturesque gaze in the lithographs from España artística y monumental (1842-1850), as a code for recognizing reality and able to generate meaning. It is argued that these lithographs are intermediaries between the viewer and a reality whose conception in mediated by prevalent discourses on nature, the Gothic style, national identity, and the aesthetic experience.
NB The text includes numerous passages in italics that were not intended by the author and should be disregarded as intentional emphasis in the construction of the arguments.
The surveys of art history written by anglophone scholars picture a map of the Gothic architecture that leaves Spain out. This paper inquiries into when, how, and why this marginalization begun, tracing it back to the Victorian historian of architecture James Fergusson. On the one hand, Fergusson argued that the Spanish monuments were imperfect imitations of European models. On the other hand, he claimed that the Spaniards were a semitic race, lacking artistic genius and unable to create any architecture of worth. These formal and ethnological arguments led him to conclude that the southern border of the map of Gothic architecture should end at the Pyrenees and exclude Spain. At a deeper level, however, what was really at stake was not the extension of the map of the gothic, but of Western Europe, and whether Spain deserved to be included in it.
Esta copia del artículo contiene correcciones de varias erratas contenidas en la publicación original. En numerosos casos, ésto ha afectado la maquetación pero no la paginación.
This richly illustrated publication examines urban views of Spanish cities by Spanish and European travellers, from the 16th century to the 19th century. It was published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Museo de Bellas Artes de Asturias, Spain, in 2019 and consists of three introductory essays and a catalogue. The essays examine the specific problems of the illustrated book, a historical survey that provides an unifying narrative for the pieces in the catalogue, and a short history of urban views of Spanish cities in the early modern period. The catalogue entries are substantial, rigorous, updated and remarkably well illustrated. The ambitious time span, number of geographical areas covered, and variety of nationalities of the travellers, set Imago Urbis apart from previous studies, which are generally limited to a specific region, period, artist or nationality of the representations, thereby providing a unique, comprehensive, and cohesive study which is poised to become a fundamental source of information on the topic.
Director/Supervisor: Serafin Moralejo Alvarez
El arte medieval español cristiano fue contemplado por los británicos bajo diversos puntos de vista. Los más predominantes en el siglo XVIII fueron la óptica erudita de corte arqueológico, la valoración de los monumentos como documento histórico y una visión arabizante que cristalizó en la teoría que proponía España como cuna del gótico. En el siglo XIX predominó la visión romántica, en la que destacaron el aprecio de nuestros monumentos medievales por su potencial evocador, su atractivo pintoresco y la emoción sublime que suscitaba. La visión predominante fue, sin embargo, la religiosa, que valoraba las catedrales por su contribución a la brillantez del ritual y el ambiente religioso que en ellas se respiraba.
También hubo en el XIX las primeras síntesis históricas, con la monografía de Street y las historias de Fergusson en un puesto destacado. Por último, se valoraron, en menor grado, la escultura y pintura monumentales y arte menores gracias a las teorías de Ruskin y William Morris.
El South Kensington museum fue la institución oficial que mas contribuyo a la divulgación de nuestro arte medieval decorativo.