The Arts of Intimacy: Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the Making of Castilian Culture

by Jerrilynn D. Dodds, María Rosa Menocal, Abigail Krasner Balbale

Named a Book of the Year by the Times Literary Supplement, this lavishly illustrated work explores the vibrant interaction among different and sometimes opposing cultures, and how their contacts with one another transformed them all. It chronicles the tumultuous history of Castile in the wake of the Christian capture of the Islamic city of Tulaytula, now Toledo, in the eleventh century and traces the development of Castilian culture as it was forged in the new intimacy of Christians with the Muslims and Jews they had overcome. 

The authors paint a portrait of the culture through its arts, architecture, poetry and prose, uniquely combining literary and visual arts. Concentrating on the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the book reveals the extent to which Castilian identity is deeply rooted in the experience of confrontation, interaction, and at times union with Hebrew and Arabic cultures during the first centuries of its creation. Abundantly illustrated, the volume serves as a splendid souvenir of southern Spain; beautifully written, it illuminates a culture deeply enriched by others.

Genres: History, Spain, Nonfiction, Art History, Medieval, Art, Religion

416 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

About the author

BA, Barnard College. MA, PhD, Harvard University. Work has centered on issues of artistic interchange—in particular, among Christians, Jews, and Muslims—and how groups form identities through art and architecture; special interest in the arts of Spain and the history of architecture. Author of Architecture and Ideology in Early Medieval Spain and NY Masjid: The Mosques of New York and co-author of Arts of Intimacy: Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the Making of Castilian Culture, among other books and publications.

Source: https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/faculty...

Reviews

[Izzie_422 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am currently undergoing research for my Fine Art dissertation which is about the definition of architectural style in Medieval Iberia. I have read near 30 books and articles on the subject and I have to say, this is perhaps the best I have found. It is rare for such a diverse topic to be written so well - most books tend to fall into the category of coffee-table book meets guidebook, but this is insightful and genuinely interesting. I have to admit to skim-reading it as it is largely a history book rather than an art-history book, but it has provided me with a fantastic understanding of the time period, as well as conveying a better grasp of what the social relationships of the time were actually like. So often art historians assume Muslim and Christian rulers were constantly at war, but in actual fact, they often formed strong alliances in order to vanquish a shared enemy. A very insightful book, I strongly recommend it to anyone else studying this time period.

[Mills College Library]

946.302 D642 2008

[Lars Johanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is an academic work it should be required reading for anyone who will visit Toledo, Granada, Córdoba or Sevilla in Spain. It provides valuable historical background to the many sites as well as a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the founding of moden Spain

[Layla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diverse in topics and has pretty pictures too.

[Isidro Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Specialist. Lavishly illustrated. Crucial orientation to multi-cultural Iberia.