Getting past 1492: the Renaissance in recent Portuguese and Spanish publications.

NINETEEN NINETY-TWO was such a watershed year for publications concerning the fifteenth, sixteenth, and early seventeenth centuries that dozens of these works could easily be described as "the best." Unfortunately, out of the numerous Portuguese and Spanish publishers contacted in 1993 with our request for review copies, only two in Spain plus the Sorbonne took this project seriously. In response to their cooperative attitude, I want to mention their three books before turning to a more general discussion of Renaissance publications from the Iberian Peninsula. (Publishers in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Latin America were not included simply because of limitations on my time.)

It may seem odd to commence the substantive section of this essay with Josette Riandiere La Roche's Nouveau Documents Quevediens (1992), with her text in French, published by the Sorbonne. The work appeared, however, under the auspices of the Centre de Recherche sur l'Espagne des XVIe et XVIIe Siecles (CRES), with a preface by Augustin Redondo, who guided the author through an exemplary biographical investigation of the Quevedo family. Riandiere La Roche's study not only provides new information (transcribing original Spanish documents), but also sets the Quevedo family in the milieu of Madrid during the second half of Philip II's reign, thus positioning the poet Francisco Gomez de Quevedo Villegas in his proper social and political context.

From the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas in Madrid (CSIC, similar to the CNRS in Paris) we received El Secreto Artificio: Qualitas Sonorum, Maronolatria y Tradicion Pontaniana en la Poetica del Renacimiento (1992) by Maria Jose Vega Ramos. This foray into both the quidity and liquidity of Renaissance poetry, adapted from the author's doctoral thesis at the Universidad de Extremadura, presents a dense, slightly disjointed, yet convincing argument on the importance of fonosimbolismo in stylistic theory. Not surprisingly, Vega Ramos lists Terence Cave among several scholars inspiring her work. The most pertinent aspects of this publication for teachers of the Renaissance are discussions of the transformation of poetic theory filtered through vernacular poetry, along with new ideas on how Renaissance audiences (readers as well as listeners) perceived their own literatures.

The third book submitted for review, like several others mentioned below, was published before 1992. As this is our first general essay on Portuguese and Spanish publications, I decided to take this opportunity to inform Renaissance specialists of some important works that--to my knowledge--were not widely reviewed. My main purpose is to suggest a few publications that might be useful in discussing Renaissance studies with undergraduates.

Near Madrid, in the town where the palace of El Escorial is located, the editorial house of Swan, Avantos, & Hakeldama has been busily producing a series entitled "Torre de la Botica," which emphasizes religious aspects of Renaissance humanistic texts. Topics previously analyzed include Lutherism in Castile, Athanasius Kircher, Robert Fludd, and the ideal urban society of Francisco de Eiximenis. The present book, Jose C. Nieto Sanjuan's San Juan de La Cruz, Poeta del Amor Profano (1988), constitutes a rethinking of his 1982 book on the same poet's Noche oscura. Within this narrow focus, the author deftly differentiates between "symbol" and "image" (91-95), explaining how the incorporation of these forms contributed to the creative vitality of Renaissance art and literature. This book would be especially interesting for scholars working with Renaissance mysticism.

For the remainder of this essay, recent publications acquired by the Hispanic Society of America provided our major field of selection. Because of this institution's Iberian focus, its modern books collection presents a comprehensive coverage of Portuguese and Spanish sources in the humanities. Each of the publications mentioned below should be considered as representative of dozens of other works, equally deserving of consideration. The fact that they are written in Portuguese or Spanish should not deter most students of the Renaissance who, with a minimum of effort, could become proficient in comprehending the texts of their Iberian colleagues. Attempting to teach Renaissance studies without firsthand access to the recent ideas of critics and scholars in the Peninsula, itself so crucial in the creation and interpretation of many aspects of Renaissance culture, hinders both teacher and student from experiencing some innovative and often provocative points of view.

1492's quincentenary created the impetus for numerous commissions, committees, delegations, and foundations to sponsor publications on related (and not-so-related) subjects. By my informal count, the world of learning has been enriched by more than one thousand such publications, all appearing between 1991 and 1993. Editorial MAPFRE, for example, funded by the Fundacion MAPFRE America in Madrid, lists dozens of works (in Spanish) in "Colecciones MAPFRE 1492," all appropriate for undergraduate students. Very reasonably priced for university libraries, these volumes would be useful for student research projects.

Among the works recommended below are several with firstrate illustrations, through which the worlds of Renaissance Portugal and Spain can be brought to life for college students. First mention should go to Ciudades del Siglo de Oro: Las Vistas Espanolas de Anton Van den Wyngaerde (1986), with commentary by Richard L. Kagan, published by Ediciones El Viso. (Most libraries in the U.S. have probably purchased the English edition.) These midsixteenth-century topographic views are the earliest extant documentation by a competent artist of Iberian cities playing significant roles in Renaissance culture, and the publishers have done justice to the images with a sumptuous oversized format.

Another good source of images is the numerous exhibition and collection catalogues resulting from the quincentenary, notably Portugal's prominence in the "Europalia" held in Brussels and the selection of "treasures" published by the Portuguese national archive, the Torre do Tombo. Even in the U.S., many institutions with little-known Renaissance material made the effort to mount exhibitions and publish catalogues. As for Spain, every major city amassed something of interest to display.

Perhaps the most splendid Spanish exhibition catalogue, and one which features informative commentary, is Reyes y Mecenas, commemorating an exhibition in Toledo from March through May of 1992. Elaborating on the precious objects, including manuscripts and printed books, owned by Isabel and Ferdinand and by members of the House of Austria in Spain, the publication demonstrates the power of patronage in disseminating Renaissance art and culture throughout the Peninsula. An essay by Fernando Checa analyzes the patronage system, while Jonathan Brown discusses artistic culture in Spain in the context of the expanding world of exploration. (I would also refer readers to the first three chapters of Brown's magnificent new book, The Golden Age of Painting in Spain.) Other short essays neatly summarize various parts of the lavishly illustrated catalogue. In conjunction with the theme of patronage, a section entitled "Los Artistas de la epoca" explains relationships with patrons (527-78), and the bibliography of art in Spain in the era of the Catholic Kings contains more than 2000 entries. My only negative comment is that the primary and secondary sources should not have been intermingled.

Another extraordinary illustrated catalogue, with 236 entries, documents the patrimony of the Cathedral of Seville, exhibited from early May through October of 1992. Entitled Magna Hispalensis: El Universo de una Iglesia (with the assumption that a variety of nouns could be described by "Magna Hispalensis"?), the exhibition itself represented the universe in a church because the objects were installed inside the cathedral, in a miraculous feat of intensive labor between Holy Week and may 5th. Organized in conjunction with the World's Fair in Seville (which opened on April 20th), this exhibition and its catalogue were produced in a cooperative effort between the diocese of Seville and official government quincentennial agencies. The cathedral was transformed into a pantheon which commemorated several centuries of acquisitions, with special attention to the period in the sixteenth century when this cathedral functioned as the metropolitan church for the Americas. Magna Hispalensis reflects both the architectural setting and the art objects on display. In addition, each of the nine sections opens with prefatory remarks in English as well as Spanish.

Concerning the relationship between Europe and the Americas, Santiago Sebastian's Iconografia del Indio Americano, Siglos XVIXVII (1992) assembles some of the more famous images in printed books of the time, in a paperback format affordable by most college students and endorsed by the Ibero-Amerikanische Institut in Berlin. Published by Ediciones Tuero in Madrid (known by emblem specialists for their facsimile series), this work addresses European stereotypes of native Americans, including allegorizations of "America," and the use of classical models in Renaissance imagery treating this subject.

Ties between Europe and America are also explored in Andalucia Americana (1989), issued by the Junta de Andalucia in Seville. The ingenious format of this work describes fifty historic buildings, beautifully illustrated in color and often with architectural plans, explaining each building's links with America. The Church of the Magdalena, for example, formerly the Convent of San Pablo, was the headquarters of Bartolome de las Casas, and it housed the library of Hernando Colon from 1544 until 1552. Because of art patronage associated with the families involved, the publishers were careful to include interior views depicting paintings and sculpture, along with exterior details of iconographic significance. For edifices that have suffered from natural causes or have been radically altered by renovation, vintage photographs and other sources provide documentation of an earlier state.

Our attempts to interpret these visual records of the past in the classroom are complemented by our efforts to help students understand the historical situation of individuals who spent their lives within these same monasteries, cottages, churches, and ships. An example of the valuable historical studies being published in the Peninsula can be seen in Religiosidad femenina (Siglos VIII-XVIII) (1991), edited by Angela Munoz Fernandez and Maria del Mar Grana Cid, published by Laia in Madrid. Approximately half of the essays in this book pertain directly to the Renaissance, such as Gloria Lopez de la Plaza's study of the Islamic influence on attitudes toward women in Andalusia, and the treatment of "diabolic" women by Angus Mackay and Richard Wood.

Students need to know not only what we know about the Renaissance, but how we have come to know it; they especially should be aware of the fact that our knowledge of Renaissance authors and other figures is sometimes more complete than that of these individuals' own contemporaries, while in other instances it is lamentably less so. A case in point is the Subventione pauperum by Juan Luis Vives, first translated into Spanish and published in Valencia in 1781 as Tratado del Socorro de los pobres.

As part of the celebration in 1991 of the quincentenary of Vives' birth, the Ministerio de Asuntos Sociales in Madrid issued a facsimile of this 1781 translation, accompanied by a lengthy study by Pedro Carasa Soto. He adroitly sets the scenario for Vives' essay, placing the Valencian humanist's social concerns within the context of various reform movements. In the process, Carasa clearly explains how the text both reflects and embodies contemporary issues common to most of western Europe and particularly to Spain. Moreover, the author ventures into historiography to inform us that, at least until the 1781 translation, this was one of Vives' least known works; and that, in Spain, Vives himself was not considered among the more famous Renaissance humanists until his rediscovery in the latter eighteenth century.

Perhaps the texts most useful for undergraduate teaching are historical and literary anthologies, although the problems inherent in certain selections read out of context should be obvious. Spain has been producing some fine anthologies representing the works of specific writers, such as the "Clasicos Taurus" series in Madrid which published Luis de Gongora, Poesia Selecta (1991), edited by Antonio Perez Lasheras and Jose Maria Mico. This particular series, with prefatory notes, linguistic comments in the margins, and interpretive footnotes would be suitable as an introduction to the literature.

Bibliography and the book arts, including catalogues of collections and facsimiles, were highlighted in many Peninsular publications appearing during the past two years. I would like to focus on one specific volume, published in 1992, because it is the result of a rather important conference, "Coloquio sobre o livro antigo," held in Lisbon in 1988. Entitled V Centenario do livro impresso em Portugal 1487-1987, this volume of 583 pages includes essays by Artur Anselmo, Francisco Leite de Faria, and Isabel Cid (head of the famous Biblioteca Publica at Evora, who analyzed incunabula in her collection for indications of ownership). Readers might wish to note that one of the contributions is in English--Anne Anninger's excellent "Sebastiano Serlio's Books of Architecture and Their Influence on Portuguese Art in the Second Half of the Sixteenth Century."

For Portugal, the remaining publications in this essay all concern aspects of cartography or the age of exploration (or "expansion" as it is sometimes referred to in Portugal). By sheer weight of number, they dominated the publishing world, and most likely shall continue to do so until the year 2000, the quincentenary of Cabral's landing off the coast of Brazil.

Preeminent in this field are works created by and for the Comissao Nacional para as Comemoracoes dos Descobrimentos Portugueses, under the direction of Vasco Graca Moura. Their Mare Liberum (Review of the History of the Seas), now up to no. 5, contains articles mostly in Portuguese, with several articles in five other European languages. The vast majority of these scholarly pieces pertain to the Renaissance and are especially useful for little-known biographical details. Oceanos, a journal in large-folio format, was begun in 1989 and is now up to no. 14, with selected issues translated into English. This publication offers magnificent color images documenting essays on Renaissance Portugal and the territories, written on a level appropriate for college students. (The subscription price is quite reasonable.)

Teatro de Todo o Mundo: Mundivisao Artistica e Iconografica da Terra e do Universo (secs. XII-XVII) (Lisbon, 1989) by Armando da Camara Pereira, is one of those gems of a book which often escapes the attention of reviewers. Within the framework of medieval hierarchical concepts of the universe, the author explores theories about theological space(s) and the human cosmographic vision. His most brilliant ideas--which should have been more fully developed--unify the symbolism and structural elements of portolan charts within a general discussion of central and peripheral space.

The Portuguese Ministerio da Educacao has also created a special initiative for Renaissance studies that includes the publication of Fernando Oliveira's O Vestuario Portugues ao Tempo da Expansao, seculos XV e XVI [1991], a thorough presentation of Renaissance costume (in paperback). Oliveira provides a glossary of more than 200 terms, a bibliography of his primary sources, 56 sketches by the author of costumes, and ten illustrations from Renaissance sources. Finally, he creates a six-page descriptive chart explaining the source, fabric, and social class for each costume, along with additional information. Students working with Renaissance theatre and anyone wishing to understand period details in written works from the Renaissance should consult this book.

I close this essay with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation's first publication in a new series from their educational department, "Descobrimentos Portugueses e Ciencia Moderna" ("Knowledge" and "Learning" as well as "Science" understood in the term "Ciencia.") L'Expansion portugaise dans la litterature latine de la Renaissance (1991) is the 1959 Sorbonne doctoral thesis, directed by Marcel Bataillon, of Luis de Matos (director of the library at the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon for nearly a quarter of a century). Matos has drawn upon material in this study for several other works on Renaissance topics, but the thesis itself was never published. A twenty-page introduction (in Portuguese) by the inimitable Jose V. de Pina Martins explains the significance of Matos' research at the time it was completed, as well as the continued validity in the 1990s of a sound philological background supporting solid historical methodology. College teachers involved with reforming the curriculum should take a hard look at what Pina Martins has to say in this introduction. Unless language requirements are reinstated on the undergraduate level, we shall have very few graduate projects in which students are able to produce the high quality of meticulous investigations formulated by Luis de Matos and his contemporaries.

As a concluding note, I should mention that neither basic reference works from Portugal and Spain nor critical editions have been considered because these should be easily accessible to Renaissance specialists. Since this is the first review essay in RQ based on the production of foreign publishers, we hope that readers might offer criticisms and suggestions so that future essays can be more responsive to the needs of college teachers in this country. Finally, we hope that foreign publishers will be encouraged to send their works to the RSA office for consideration in future review essays.

THE HISPANIC SOCIETY OF AMERICA