Spanish Medieval Art: Recent Studies (review)

A collection of interdisciplinary articles reveals the cultural hybridity and artistic syncretism prevalent in medieval Spain, particularly along the Routes of Santiago de Compostela. The study highlights how Christian art and architecture incorporated Islamic elements under monolithic crusader agendas, such as in the church of San Román in Toledo, where Islamic decorations were neutralized within a unifying Christian program. Additionally, it explores the tendency to conflate Jewish and Islamic attributes in Christian iconography, exemplified by a carved Islamic book-cover flap in the cloister of Santa María la Mayor in Tudela. The research employs detailed analysis of physical components, historical sources, and contemporary methods to examine Romanesque and Gothic art across Catalunya, Toledo, and France, offering new perspectives on medieval artistic production and its cultural context.

(Ed.). (2010). Spanish Medieval Art: Recent Studies (review). Hispanófila, 159(1), 107–108. https://doi.org/10.1353/hsf.2010.0000