Frederick A. de Armas
Encyclopedia
Frederick A. de Armas is a literature professor at the University of Chicago
, where he is Andrew W. Mellon
Distinguished Service Professor in Humanities and Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature. He also serves as Chair of the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures (2006–2009; 2010–2012).
De Armas holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
(1969), and has taught at Louisiana State University
(1969–1988), Pennsylvania State University
(where he was Edwin Erle Sparks
Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature) (1988–2000) and has been a visiting professor at Duke University
(1994). He has served as Vice President and President of the Cervantes Society of America (2003–2009).
De Armas' publications focus on early modern Spanish literature and culture, often from a comparative perspective. His interests include the politics of astrology, magic and the Hermetic tradition, ekphrasis, verbal and visual culture, etc. His early books evince an interest in the relationship between mythology and literature, between the classics and Spanish Golden Age
works. They include: The Invisible Mistress: Aspects of Feminism and Fantasy in the Golden Age (1976), which contains some of the earliest discussions of proto-feminism in early modern Spain, and The Return of Astraea: An Astral-Imperial Myth in Calderón (1986), which is one of the first studies that approach Calderón from a historicist perspective. For example, he interprets the figure of Circe in one of Calderon's plays as critiquing the policies of Philip IV
's minister, the Count-Duke of Olivares. On the other hand, Astraea
is in many cases a figure that serves to praise the regime. A revised and updated Spanish version of The Return of Astraea will also be published in the near future. His interest in Golden Age Theater has led him to publish several book collections: The Prince in the Tower: Perceptions of "La vida es sueño" (1993), Heavenly Bodies: The Realms of "La estrella de Sevilla" (1996) and A Star-Crossed Golden Age: Myth and the Spanish Comedia (1998).
One of his main interests throughout his career has been the relationship between the verbal and the visual in early modern Spanish literature and Italian art. In recent years, this subject has become central to his research, as evinced by the book, Cervantes, Raphael and the Classics (Cambridge, 1998). This study focuses on Cervantes’
most famous tragedy, La Numancia, showing how it is engaged in a conversation with classical authors of Greece and Rome, especially through the interpretations of antiquity presented by the artist Raphael
. This book was followed by the collections Writing for the Eyes in the Spanish Golden Age (2004) and Ekphrasis in the Age of Cervantes (2005). In the introduction to this last collection he establishes a typology of ekphrasis, including definitions for allusive, collectionist, descriptive, dramatic, interpolated, narrative, shaping, and veiled ekphrasis, as well as meta-ekphrasis and ur-ekphrasis. He applies these terms in his book: Quixotic Frescoes. Cervantes and Italian Art (Toronto, 2006).
He has recently co-edited two collections on Spanish Golden Age theater. The first one, on tragedy, is entitled Hacia la tragedia: Lecturas para un nuevo milenio (Madrid, 2008); and the second one, on a specific writer is called Calderón: del manuscrito a la escena (in press). At the same time, he continues to work on Cervantes, having published an edited volume, Ovid in the Age of Cervantes (2010). His latest book, Don Quixote among the Saracens: Clashes of Civilizations and Literary Genres (2011) has a double focus. The first has to do with a clash of civilizations
and asks: Why is Don Quixote at peace among the Saracens? The second has to do with Don Quixote as an "imperial" vehicle for the assimilation or destruction of literary genres.
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, where he is Andrew W. Mellon
Andrew W. Mellon
Andrew William Mellon was an American banker, industrialist, philanthropist, art collector and Secretary of the Treasury from March 4, 1921 until February 12, 1932.-Early life:...
Distinguished Service Professor in Humanities and Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature. He also serves as Chair of the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures (2006–2009; 2010–2012).
De Armas holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
(1969), and has taught at Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
(1969–1988), Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
(where he was Edwin Erle Sparks
Edwin Erle Sparks
Edwin Erle Sparks was the eighth president of the Pennsylvania State University, serving from 1908 until 1920.-Biography:...
Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature) (1988–2000) and has been a visiting professor at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
(1994). He has served as Vice President and President of the Cervantes Society of America (2003–2009).
De Armas' publications focus on early modern Spanish literature and culture, often from a comparative perspective. His interests include the politics of astrology, magic and the Hermetic tradition, ekphrasis, verbal and visual culture, etc. His early books evince an interest in the relationship between mythology and literature, between the classics and Spanish Golden Age
Spanish Golden Age
The Spanish Golden Age is a period of flourishing in arts and literature in Spain, coinciding with the political rise and decline of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty. El Siglo de Oro does not imply precise dates and is usually considered to have lasted longer than an actual century...
works. They include: The Invisible Mistress: Aspects of Feminism and Fantasy in the Golden Age (1976), which contains some of the earliest discussions of proto-feminism in early modern Spain, and The Return of Astraea: An Astral-Imperial Myth in Calderón (1986), which is one of the first studies that approach Calderón from a historicist perspective. For example, he interprets the figure of Circe in one of Calderon's plays as critiquing the policies of Philip IV
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
's minister, the Count-Duke of Olivares. On the other hand, Astraea
Astraea
In Greek mythology, Astræa or Astrea was a daughter of Zeus and Themis or of Eos and Astraeus. She and her mother were both personifications of justice, though Astræa was also associated with innocence and purity...
is in many cases a figure that serves to praise the regime. A revised and updated Spanish version of The Return of Astraea will also be published in the near future. His interest in Golden Age Theater has led him to publish several book collections: The Prince in the Tower: Perceptions of "La vida es sueño" (1993), Heavenly Bodies: The Realms of "La estrella de Sevilla" (1996) and A Star-Crossed Golden Age: Myth and the Spanish Comedia (1998).
One of his main interests throughout his career has been the relationship between the verbal and the visual in early modern Spanish literature and Italian art. In recent years, this subject has become central to his research, as evinced by the book, Cervantes, Raphael and the Classics (Cambridge, 1998). This study focuses on Cervantes’
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written...
most famous tragedy, La Numancia, showing how it is engaged in a conversation with classical authors of Greece and Rome, especially through the interpretations of antiquity presented by the artist Raphael
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino , better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur...
. This book was followed by the collections Writing for the Eyes in the Spanish Golden Age (2004) and Ekphrasis in the Age of Cervantes (2005). In the introduction to this last collection he establishes a typology of ekphrasis, including definitions for allusive, collectionist, descriptive, dramatic, interpolated, narrative, shaping, and veiled ekphrasis, as well as meta-ekphrasis and ur-ekphrasis. He applies these terms in his book: Quixotic Frescoes. Cervantes and Italian Art (Toronto, 2006).
He has recently co-edited two collections on Spanish Golden Age theater. The first one, on tragedy, is entitled Hacia la tragedia: Lecturas para un nuevo milenio (Madrid, 2008); and the second one, on a specific writer is called Calderón: del manuscrito a la escena (in press). At the same time, he continues to work on Cervantes, having published an edited volume, Ovid in the Age of Cervantes (2010). His latest book, Don Quixote among the Saracens: Clashes of Civilizations and Literary Genres (2011) has a double focus. The first has to do with a clash of civilizations
Clash of Civilizations
The Clash of Civilizations is a theory, proposed by political scientist Samuel P. Huntington, that people's cultural and religious identities will be the primary source of conflict in the post-Cold War world....
and asks: Why is Don Quixote at peace among the Saracens? The second has to do with Don Quixote as an "imperial" vehicle for the assimilation or destruction of literary genres.