Cervantes, Raphael and the Classics

Frederick de Armas argues in this work that throughout his literary career, Cervantes was engaged in a conversation with the classical authors of Greece and Rome, especially through the interpretations of antiquity presented by the artist Raphael. Rather than looking at Cervantes' texts in relation to other literary works, this book demonstrates how Cervantes' trip to Italy and his observation of Italian Renaissance art--particularly the works of Raphael at the Vatican--led him to create new images and structures in his works.

"The strength of this remarkable book lies...in the introduction of new ways to examine a suggestive text and a key moment of transition. This erudite, audacious study invites the reader to consider the relation between literature and art, present and the past, structure and message systems. Highly recommended for all academic libraries. Graduate students; researchers; faculty." Choice

"De Armas has produced highly perceptive reading of cultrual encodings of myth, allegory, and visual symbol and demonstrated their importance for interpretation of early modern Spanish literary texts." Renaissance Quarterly