After an introductory survey of the development of women's studies in the context of Spain, twenty-one chronologically ordered essays by scholars from Britain, the United States, Spain and Mexico explore women's roles in the cultural production of their time from the Middle Ages to the present.
The essays of the first half examine the work of the earliest women writers and artists - memoirs and meditations, novellas and plays - and the representation or self-representation of women in a broad sweep of texts including medieval folksong, hagiography, and painting of the Baroque era.
The modern section focuses on women's participation in politics and culture from the eighteenth century onwards: as translators and essayists, as consumers of visual ephemera and conduct books, as poets and artists, film directors and performers.
An alternative and supplement to standard literary histories, this volume offers new insights into women's agency and representation in the cultural heritage of Spain. It will prove a useful and stimulating resource for students at all levels, and an accessible guide for the general reader.