Literary Patronage in Spain 1500–1560

A book that expands our understanding of the complex dynamics of patronage in the early modern era, especially with regard to the role of women, is always welcome. Rosa Helena Chinchilla’s Literary Patronage in Spain 1500–1560 is a new addition to ongoing research on this important topic. Four of its six chapters deal specifically with the role played by figures such as Mencía de Mendoza y Fonseca and Juana de Austria in fomenting cultural life in their milieux. Even the chapters dedicated primarily to men, such as the one on Garcilaso de La Vega and Juan Boscán, have the patronage of women as a significant subtext. The socio-historical conditions that gave rise to artistic patronage in the first half of the sixteenth century in Spain were intricate, and Chinchilla has carried out extensive research in institutions both in the U.S. and abroad. It is unfortunate, therefore, that the book did not benefit from a careful editing process; the text is often repetitious, and its organization is haphazard. There are some glaring examples of editorial neglect as, for example, when on page 20 the same paragraph is repeated almost word for word.The chapter-long introduction introduces readers to a group of figures, both female and male, who played important roles as mentors and patrons. Chinchilla has relied primarily on letters and other documents such as poems and dedications written in praise of these personages. Here and in subsequent chapters, the author supplements her analysis with a variety of topics that, at times, seem tangential to the central discussion of mecenazgo.The interesting topic of the first chapter, “Mothers and Daughters, Patronage Relationships and Early Modern Spain,” is elaborated in an uneven manner. Not all figures are given equal time and space, nor is the familial relationship between these figures thoroughly analyzed. Thus, in the eight-page section on Mencía de Mendoza y Figueroa and her daughter, Mencía de Mendoza y Velasco, the latter is given only two and half pages of consideration. The next pairing—the Infanta Juana de Aragón and Juliana Ángela Velasco—is given even less overall space, with the daughter receiving a scant three sentences. The last mother and daughter pairing considered is María Enriquez and Isabel Borja. The discussion of their patronage is supplemented with information on topics such as sugar production and slavery in Valencia and the history of the Convent of the Discalced Clares in Gandía. As with the introduction, there is a lack of a linearity as the author jumps from one figure and topic to the next without following a strict chronological or thematic order.The second chapter, “The Poet, The Patron, The Exile,” about Garcilaso de la Vega and Juan Boscán, begins with well-known details of Garcilaso’s life and his contribution to Spanish letters. The brief discussion of poetic practice in Spain before Garcilaso contains an unfortunate error in the claim that “[u]ntil 1543 Castilian poetry had been written in a form called ‘versos de arte mayor,’ octosyllabic, with a simple rhyme scheme” (67). Clearly, it should say “versos de arte menor,” but that this basic factual error was not corrected is another instance of editorial carelessness. Chinchilla goes on to discuss a number of Garcilaso’s compositions that feature female figures such as nymphs and muses as a way of introducing the poet’s relationship to important patrons such as María de Cardona, Vittoria Colonna and María d’Aragón. Male benefactors such as the Duke of Alba and Alfonso d’Avalos are also considered. The second chapter ends with a discussion of Boscán’s translation of Castiglioni’s The Courtier and establishes an interesting correspondence between the Italian’s invocation of Vittoria Colona as his inspiration and Boscán’s famous epistle to Beatriz Fernández de Cordoba, the Duchess of Soma.Chapter 3 focuses on the fascinating figure of Mencía de Mendoza y Fonseca who should not be confused with Mencia de Mendoza y Figueroa and Mencía de Mendoza Velasco, who were featured in chapter 1. [Chinchilla acknowledges the confusion created by the similarities in names.] This particular Mencía had close links to notable humanists such as Erasmus (an inventory of her books included forty-four original and translated works by the famous humanist), Gilles de Busleyden and Juan Luis Vives. A woman of erudition who traveled widely, Mencía owned an impressive collection of portraits, funded professorships, and supported a number of humanists such as Martin Lasso de Oropesa who translated Lucan’s Pharsalia. Despite some organizational and rhetorical awkwardness, this chapter effectively captures the intellectual and political contributions of this formidable woman.The fourth chapter deals with considers another compelling figure, Juana de Austria, who has gained increasing historical and critical attention in recent decades. Here, Chinchilla highlights Juana’s willingness to defend “dissident” writers such as Fray Luis de Granada and Juan de Ávila whose works promoted religious practices that were deemed dangerous. Juana’s well-known devotion to the Jesuit cause and the powerful role that she carved out during her regency are ably described. Of note is one important subtopic throughout the book: how widowhood frequently enabled women such as Juana and Mencía de Mendoza to pursue intellectual and cultural activities despite the general misogynist ambiance of the era. The chapter encapsulates Juana’s important contributions to the humanist legacy through her promotion of figures such as Fray Luis and Juan de Ávila, Juan de Mal Lara, Jorge de Montemayor, Alfonso Muñoz and Alonso de Orozco.Chapter 5, “The Duke of Sessa: Nobility and Letters (1520–78)” focuses on Gonzalo II Fernández de Córdoba’s importance as a patron to literary figures who dedicated works to the duke and his family. These included the historian Paolo Giovo, who wrote a biography of his grandfather at the instigation of the duke’s father; Tansillo, who edited a manuscript that includes poems dedicated to Gonzalo; Joan de Resa, who edited the works of Ausias March; Antonio de Cabezón, who wrote important musical treatises; and the duke’s famous slave, Juan Latino, who would dedicate a number of compositions to his patron.The sixth and last chapter, dedicated to Jorge de Montemayor, provides an interesting discussion of Montemayor’s poetic and philosophical influences and his unique cultivation of the patronage system. Unlike most writers who tended to have only one or two patrons at a time, the author of La Diana sought out different patrons, possibly as a way of protecting himself as a vulnerable member of a converso family. Chinchilla effectively demonstrates how Montemayor’s dedicatory letters offer a way of charting his life as a courtier and a writer.There is a brief conclusion that, with its discussion of translations, religious writers, court musicians and other topics, fails to bring the disparate chapters together into a cohesive whole. Nevertheless, there is a good—perhaps even important—book struggling to get out from under the repetition, awkward phrasing, and confusing organization. Those interested in the topic of patronage will find new and useful information in this study. One can only wish that the author had been better served by her editors

Art · Art history · Literature · Paragraph · Poetry · Political science · Praise · Subtext · Tribute · Classics · Early Modern Spanish Literature · Early Modern Women Writers · History · Law · Spanish Literature and Culture Studies