Language Spanish Publisher Veith and Hauser | Genre Travel book Originally published 1842 Illustrator Jenaro Pérez Villaamil | |
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Original title España Artística y Monumental | ||
Artistic and Monumental Spain (Spanish: España Artística y Monumental) is a literary and pictorial work that falls within the genre of travel books, that came to light in 1842 in Paris, published by Veith and Hauser. The lithographs came out in three volumes with landscapes, and the most important monuments in Spain. The author of the project and painter of pictures was Jenaro Pérez Villamil in collaboration with Patricio de la Escosura, who was responsible for the text. His patron or sponsor was the Gaspar Remisa.
Contents
History
It was a work of collaboration although responsibility and much of the drawings for lithography carried out by its promoter Pérez Villamil. In addition to the writer Patricio de la Escosura worked closely with the authors of books of prints of landscapes and monuments, Benoist and Louis-Julien Jacottet (1806–1880).
The Romantic movement had become fashionable with great success illustrated travel books. artistic and monumental Spain was one of the most beautiful scenic and artistic in this genre works along with Spain of Francisco de Paula Van Halen and Memories and beauties of Spain of Francisco Javier Parcerisa in collaboration with José María Quadrado. 2 Most of the films were carried out by Villaamil, many of them drawn from his own paintings; in these cases the signature at the bottom you can read "<G. P. Villaamil pinxit> ". But also they helped other artists like his brother John, Carderera, Valeriano Dominguez Becquer, Cecilio Pizarro and Crespo.
Another part of the work was carried out with original drawings purchased from other artists and thus recorded in each of the sheets, except in a case where the author's name is cited but is simply reads "G. Villaamil Perez directed it. " This happened with the work of Valentin Cardedera that in a letter to express their protest Villaamil:
I have seen with feeling among the last prints of Spain Monumental, which came out some original which sold it to you., My name is deleted. The same thing happens, as I said to you., With the Cathedral of Zamora. Magdalena de Zamora [...] In the latter who have gone missing my name [...]
Description
The whole work has a romantic tinge in line with other European works. Pérez Villamil brought the style of his paintings with urban landscapes, popular characters, manners touch, exaltation of the medieval in the romantic feeling. The Paris house Hauser published between 1842 and 1850. It came to light in three volumes in which about twenty French lithographers worked plus one Spanish. Despite the variety of authors and lithographers whole uniform was thanks to the good direction Pérez Villamil and although lithographers, custom very fashionable at the time many interpretive licenses are allowed with the originals. It contains views of Toledo with 44 sheets; views of Burgos with 19; various places of Castile, Aragon, Andalusia, the Basque Country, Navarra and Galicia which has only a sheet. The choice is arbitrary and are not represented all regions of Spain.