Figures and counterfigures of the Annunciation in the first romances of chivalry: bedroom scenes and angelic notices of extraordinary conception

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13136/2284-2667/1266

Keywords:

Annunciation, medieval iconography, chivalric fiction, Baladro del sabio Merlín, Tristán de Leonís, La Celestina, Tirant lo Blanc

Abstract

The article examines the significant role of domestic elements in the Annunciations painted by 15th-century artists. Among these objects Thalamus Virginis stands out for its Mariological and Christological meaning. The drawing of Gabriel's announcement to Mary, keeping the bed in the background, could serve as a model to illustrate other announcements or warnings of spirits or angels in sentimental and chivalric fiction. The outstanding illustrations of the first Castilian prints of the Baladro del sabio Merlín or Tristán de Leonís, among others, are examined. We propose that the counterfigures of the Annunciation could also be transmitted in other sacred-profane episodes of other fictions, such as La Celestina and Tirant the Blanc.

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Published

2022-12-22

Issue

No. 10 (2022): From the «historia fingida» to the modern novel. The poetics of fiction in Spanish romances of chivalry

Section

Monographic

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Copyright (c) 2022 Rafael Beltrán

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