Alhambra and Gautier

This book discusses Théophile Gautier's pictorial poetic style in both prose 'Voyage en Espagńe' and Poetry collection 'Espańa Gautier. He visited Spain in 1840 and was inspired by events and scenes of his experience with the Moorish and contemporary Spanish cultures. He wished to melt and be transformed into one of Alhambra's columns. He was fascinated by the Arabic poems inscribed on the walls. For Gautier, Alhambra was the oriental fantasy and a symbol for one's life. He made an analogy between Alhambra and 'The Arabian Nights'. The iconographic and intrinsic analysis of fifteen poems covered three main issues: thematic/structural relationship, iconic/symbolic referential meanings, and pictorial poetic images of paradise. This extrinsic dimension was relevant to understand the transformed images of paradise from Alhambra Palace. The relationship between art and nature has important implications for both Gautier's aesthetic and Alhambra Palace. This book may concern both general and professional readers who are interested in art, architecture, art history, French literature, psychology or/and philosophy.