Angeles
From the Life of Maria de Zayas y Sotomayor know very little. It seems he was born in Madrid about 1590 in a family belonging to the gentry at court. You may live in Valladolid and perhaps in Naples, a city that reflected in his novels with some knowledge. We do not know whether husband or remained celibate and ignored until the date of his death. What we do know by his own confession is his passion for reading " in seeing any [book], new or old, leave the pad and not rest until it happened [the term] "He
correct verses of praise in printed books by other authors, as was customary at the time and participated in just poetic and literary meetings. Lope de Vega dedicates a silva in "Laurel of Apollo " praising his genius " unique and rare" and Alonso Castillo Solorzano on "The marten Seville " flame "Sibyl of Madrid."
In 1637 Maria de Zayas printers gave his great literary success, the "amorous and exemplary novels " very important genre in Spain Since the release of " Novelas ejemplares de Cervantes. Ten years later another ten stories published under the title " Deceptions." These novels had a great reception, followed by re-issuing to the eighteenth century and translated into several languages. "Theirs writes Angeles Case- novels are true copies, because what that tells Doña Maria is 20 stories of women victims of male selfishness and deceit, and through them, trying to convince the female audience that must change their behavior to achieve independence from men. "
Mrs. Mary thinks, through his characters, that women are equal to men and to prove just need to be offered education that the world of men denied. Even dares to point out that this tyranny that men have to women, keeping them in ignorance due to fear having to overcome them and can, therefore, take away their power, "a very bold for time and that more than one should be furious ", adds Case.
Another important feature of the novels is the character Zayas sexually active with female characters. Zayas women fall in love with not only passion but delivered freely to their desires and enjoy the erotic pleasure seduced or seducing men themselves. Since the woman chasing a man who sees through the balcony until you save a married black lover in the stable to sexually devour "infinite after adultery." For those "excesses " the Inquisition in the eighteenth century, banned his novels republished crossed by some critics, well into the twentieth century too daring and even " libertine", being known as the "English Decameron . " Perhaps that is why, writes case, that excellent writer who was not always displayed Zayas occupy the place it deserves for its quality in the traditional canons of the history of our literature. (The author does not mention that Zayas novels were claimed in the nineteenth century by Dona Emilia Pardo Bazan).
Sofonisba Anguissola The Biography (1532 - 1625) is best known to us. Came from a gentry family of Cremona (city then belonging to the Duchy of Milan) and was the eldest of six children, five girls and one boy. Among his own family tradition dominated by the names of ancient Carthage, his father and uncle called Hamilcar, Hasdrubal. All the sisters were educated the best way possible, playing music, painting and writing. In 1546, Sofonisba and her sister Elena came as students in the house of Bernardino Campi, Mannerist painter well known in Cremona for his religious paintings and portraits. There Sofonisba (sister seems that she entered a convent) learned from his master the art of the craft and began portraying nature's own family members in scenes of everyday life.
In 1549, after three years of study, teacher Campi Sofonisba Cremona and was left to continue their classes with another teacher, Bernardino Gatti, with whom he remained for three or four years until 1554, twenty-one years old, decided to travel to Rome to complete their training and establish contact with the great masters. In Rome he met an old man and Miguel Angel who helped and advised during the two years the artist spent in the Eternal City. At the same time the known Vasari, author of the first encyclopedia of artists " Lives of the most outstanding architects, sculptors and painters " in which a special appointment to the Cremonese painter unreservedly praising his work.
After leaving Rome in 1556, Sofonisba fame grew slowly. Were his frequent trips to Mantua, Piacenza and Milan, territories under English rule, which ended to put you in touch with Philip II, through the Duke of Alva, Viceroy of Naples. By then, the almighty king had married Isabel de Valois, and knowing the interest of his young wife for the painting and the arts, decided, on a proposal from Alba, it would be appropriate to call Sofonisba to the English Court as a companion of the Queen , as maid of honor.
Isabel de Valois died with only twenty-five years and its loss caused a deep sadness Sofonisba "Mrs. Sofonisba " writes the ambassador of Urbino- says he no longer wants to live "However, while the queen's death meant the dissolution of House, stood in court Sofonisba four more years by decision of Felipe II, painting portraits and dealing with the education of the princesses Isabel Clara Eugenia and Catalina Micaela, " perhaps the only weakness of that monarch as a rock strict ".
Case imagine, by confession of his friends that " many men do not read books written by women and even less if dealing with other women (although my case is not applicable). Case Angeles does not believe that there is a specifically feminine literature, but the author, male or female, can invent fictions falsely female or male (I do not think gender in literature but in the good or bad literature). Ángeles Caso believed that history have been creative women (painters, sculptors, playwrights, poets, essayists, novelists, composers) to a much greater than we had been told and this book sets out from oblivion some of them, you have seemed "more interesting and more ignored." Ángeles Caso, who have not read anything above, I think, judging from this one book, " The forgotten. A history of creative women "a very good writer.
The only reason that the presence of women in any areas of public life has been far less than that of men is, according to Los Angeles case, a male pressure. Nevertheless, the author believes that through the centuries women have been active, " in the intellectual and artistic monasteries ", " in the urban world of crafts and trade " in writing and in the fine arts.
confess that many of the names of the individuals that on this anonymous woman recovers case I have little or nothing known so far and the rescue that I find most appropriate and deserving of prompt below.
Among the many biographical sketches provided by the author there are two that are the most interested me: those of the author Maria de Zayas and the painter Sofonisba Anguissola. The two names were known to me, but until reading this book had not delved into their biographies.
From the Life of Maria de Zayas y Sotomayor know very little. It seems he was born in Madrid about 1590 in a family belonging to the gentry at court. You may live in Valladolid and perhaps in Naples, a city that reflected in his novels with some knowledge. We do not know whether husband or remained celibate and ignored until the date of his death. What we do know by his own confession is his passion for reading " in seeing any [book], new or old, leave the pad and not rest until it happened [the term] "He correct verses of praise in printed books by other authors, as was customary at the time and participated in just poetic and literary meetings. Lope de Vega dedicates a silva in "Laurel of Apollo " praising his genius " unique and rare" and Alonso Castillo Solorzano on "The marten Seville " flame "Sibyl of Madrid."
In 1637 Maria de Zayas printers gave his great literary success, the "amorous and exemplary novels " very important genre in Spain Since the release of " Novelas ejemplares de Cervantes. Ten years later another ten stories published under the title " Deceptions." These novels had a great reception, followed by re-issuing to the eighteenth century and translated into several languages. "Theirs writes Angeles Case- novels are true copies, because what that tells Doña Maria is 20 stories of women victims of male selfishness and deceit, and through them, trying to convince the female audience that must change their behavior to achieve independence from men. "
Mrs. Mary thinks, through his characters, that women are equal to men and to prove just need to be offered education that the world of men denied. Even dares to point out that this tyranny that men have to women, keeping them in ignorance due to fear having to overcome them and can, therefore, take away their power, "a very bold for time and that more than one should be furious ", adds Case.
Another important feature of the novels is the character Zayas sexually active with female characters. Zayas women fall in love with not only passion but delivered freely to their desires and enjoy the erotic pleasure seduced or seducing men themselves. Since the woman chasing a man who sees through the balcony until you save a married black lover in the stable to sexually devour "infinite after adultery." For those "excesses " the Inquisition in the eighteenth century, banned his novels republished crossed by some critics, well into the twentieth century too daring and even " libertine", being known as the "English Decameron . " Perhaps that is why, writes case, that excellent writer who was not always displayed Zayas occupy the place it deserves for its quality in the traditional canons of the history of our literature. (The author does not mention that Zayas novels were claimed in the nineteenth century by Dona Emilia Pardo Bazan).
Sofonisba Anguissola The Biography (1532 - 1625) is best known to us. Came from a gentry family of Cremona (city then belonging to the Duchy of Milan) and was the eldest of six children, five girls and one boy. Among his own family tradition dominated by the names of ancient Carthage, his father and uncle called Hamilcar, Hasdrubal. All the sisters were educated the best way possible, playing music, painting and writing. In 1546, Sofonisba and her sister Elena came as students in the house of Bernardino Campi, Mannerist painter well known in Cremona for his religious paintings and portraits. There Sofonisba (sister seems that she entered a convent) learned from his master the art of the craft and began portraying nature's own family members in scenes of everyday life.
In 1549, after three years of study, teacher Campi Sofonisba Cremona and was left to continue their classes with another teacher, Bernardino Gatti, with whom he remained for three or four years until 1554, twenty-one years old, decided to travel to Rome to complete their training and establish contact with the great masters. In Rome he met an old man and Miguel Angel who helped and advised during the two years the artist spent in the Eternal City. At the same time the known Vasari, author of the first encyclopedia of artists " Lives of the most outstanding architects, sculptors and painters " in which a special appointment to the Cremonese painter unreservedly praising his work.
After leaving Rome in 1556, Sofonisba fame grew slowly. Were his frequent trips to Mantua, Piacenza and Milan, territories under English rule, which ended to put you in touch with Philip II, through the Duke of Alva, Viceroy of Naples. By then, the almighty king had married Isabel de Valois, and knowing the interest of his young wife for the painting and the arts, decided, on a proposal from Alba, it would be appropriate to call Sofonisba to the English Court as a companion of the Queen , as maid of honor.
Felipe II, Sofonisba Anguissola (Museo del Prado )
The House of the Queen remained Sofonisba the next fourteen years. It is known that it was the maid of honor's favorite queen to the he infected her love of painting and drawing. She remained very active as a portraitist. In the Museo del Prado presents a portrait of Philip II dressed soberly in black, who for years was thought of Sanchez Coello, but we now know, without doubt, that was painted by Sofonisba. Also portrayed most of the members of the royal family and other characters of the Court, where portraits of Sofonisba were greatly appreciated. Unfortunately many of these works have been lost in fires and others have been attributed to other portrait as the said Sanchez Coello, Pantoja de la Cruz or their garages as Sofonisba not sign his paintings.
Isabel de Valois died with only twenty-five years and its loss caused a deep sadness Sofonisba "Mrs. Sofonisba " writes the ambassador of Urbino- says he no longer wants to live "However, while the queen's death meant the dissolution of House, stood in court Sofonisba four more years by decision of Felipe II, painting portraits and dealing with the education of the princesses Isabel Clara Eugenia and Catalina Micaela, " perhaps the only weakness of that monarch as a rock strict ". Two years after the death of Isabel de Valois, the king became widowed to marry this time with his niece, Anne of Austria, and also Sofonisba, which was about forty, married with a gentleman of the highest Sicilian nobility, Don Fabrizio de Moncada, son of the Prince of Paterno, viceroy of Sicily. The wedding was held in the Alcazar of Madrid on May 26, 1573 with the presence of the monarch who gave generously to the bride. This marriage lasted five years of Sofonisba during which he lived with her husband in Sicily until he died at sea during their confrontation with a pirate hat. Then the widow, after arranging the estate, decided to return to Cremona with his relatives, something unexpected happened during the trip Sicilian peninsula and that was that he loved the captain of the ship that brought her, a certain Lomellini Orazio, younger than her and they married in Pisa against the wishes of his family and the advice of the Grand Duke of Florence, Francesco de Medici.
With her new husband spent the next thirty-five years in Geneva and it seems that they were happy and that the painter continued to receive commissions and portraits, as the wedding of the Infanta Isabel Clara Eugenia, named by his father governor of Netherlands. In 1615 the couple moved to Sicily where he rose to meet Anton Van Dyck, who was portrayed as old, and she received advice on painting. In Palermo Sofonisba died at the age of 93 years leaving behind a high quality artistic work, now scattered in museums in Europe only in recent years has been recognized but still continued to doubt the authorship of many of the tables the attribute.
Many other individual and collective stories of forgotten women like Sor Marcela de San Felix, the daughter of Lope de Vega nun or rebellious artists of the Baroque, Luisa Roldán "The Pulley" or recovered now famous painter, Artemisia Gentileschi, are accommodated in this interesting book that deserves to be read not for what may be original research, but the proper and well management locked sources and especially the deep reflection about the role women have played throughout history. And all this, it is much, very well documented and written.
© Manuel Martínez Bargueño
June 2010
June 2010
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