Toledo in a romantic perspective: reflections on an image

Abstract

In the Romantic image of Toledo we can trace the development of the union of images and words, of visual and literary representation, in the attempt to rise above the picturesque towards a higher perfection as critical instruments and criteria for conservation. The visual and cognitive structure which the picturesque style implied had led to a model of artistic recognition which was liable to distortion, especially in a town in a period of decadence, where its affinity to that style had lent it a widespread Romantic reputation. Spanish antiquaries refined their attitude to this model, in an attempt to present an unprejudiced and clear idea of the towns monuments and to rescue them from ruin and oblivion.