Rassegna iberistica

The Books You Inhabit: María Teresa León’s Copy of Marinero en tierra

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Abstract
This article examines the visual and material aspects present in a book that, due to a series of interventions, becomes a unique work. In the 1930s Rafael Alberti (1902‑1999) illustrated a copy of the first edition of Marinero en tierra (1925) as a gift for María Teresa León (1903‑1988). She made her own marks in the book during her lifetime, converting it into her own space. This intimate space is transformed into a cultural crucible where creative complicities and historical realities, such as the Spanish Civil War, exile, and refuge, are summarized. The volume, by the will of the gift giver and the gift receiver, is no longer another printed copy of an important book, but is instead a living work with new and different connotations. Through this article, one reflects upon the book as an object and the value of drawings in books.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Submitted: Sept. 22, 2023 | Accepted: March 14, 2024 | Published June 17, 2024 | Language: es

Keywords Exilio • Rafael Alberti • Dibujo • Exile • Libro ilustrado • Álbumes • María Teresa León • Drawing • Illustrated books • Albums

Copyright © 2024 Irene García Chacón. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/Ri/2037-6588/2024/22/002