Juan de Flores
Juan de Flores was a Spanish author from the late fifteenth century, best known for his two sentimental novels, "Grisel y Mirabella" and "Grimalte y Gradissa." Little concrete information is available about his life, leading scholars to speculate about his background, with some suggesting he was a noble Castilian due to the noble characters portrayed in his works. His novel "Grisel y Mirabella" explores the tumultuous relationship between two lovers caught in a compromising situation, incorporating gender perspectives that have drawn interest from feminist scholars. Despite its progressive discussions, the story ultimately upholds traditional power structures. On the other hand, "Grimalte y Gradissa," co-written with poet Alonso de Cordoba, features rich intergender dialogue and revolves around themes of reconciliation and unfulfilled love, referencing Boccaccio's work. Notably, "Grisel y Mirabella" was widely published in various European languages, indicating its popularity and potential use in language instruction during the period. Overall, Flores's contributions to literature reflect both the complexities of romantic relationships and the cultural dynamics of his time.
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Subject Terms
Juan de Flores
Writer
- Born: fl. 1475
- Birthplace: Probably Salamanca, Spain
Biography
Juan de Flores was the putative author of two sentimental Spanish novels from the late fifteenth century. Little is known about Flores’s life, and scholarly conjecture about him is based on evidence internal to his works. Some posit that he was Castilian and of noble birth because of his sympathetic rendering of such a character in Grimalte y Gradissa. Scholars have also assigned him variously to the courts of the Catholic monarchs and to the court of Juan II at Aragon.
Juan de Flores’s novel Grisel y Mirabella tells the tale of two lovers who must justify their surrender to passion after being caught in bed. Advocates for the lovers argue for each along gender lines; the elucidation of a woman’s position makes Grisel y Mirabella notable to feminist scholars, although the traditional power structure remains intact throughout the narrative. Grisel y Mirabella was published in numerous European languages, often in polyglot editions, which suggests it was a popular text for language instruction.
Written in collaboration with the poet Alonso de Cordoba, Grimalte y Gradissa also features a considerable amount of intergender dialogue. In the novel, Gradissa pleads with her suitor, Grimalte, to assist her in reconciling the characters of a popular romance, Giovanni Boccaccio’s Elegia di madonna Fiammetta. Grimalte is able to meet the fictional characters but fails to reunite them, and he ultimately joins Panfilo, Boccacio’s male protagonist, in the penitential life of a wild man after the suicide of the woman he spurned.