Abstract

HERNANDEZ LANDA VALENCIA, Verónica. ‘Belles Lettres’ in El Álbum Mexicano (1849). Bibliographica [online]. 2023, vol.6, n.1, pp.39-68.  Epub Nov 25, 2024. ISSN 2594-178X.  https://doi.org/10.22201/iib.2594178xe.2023.1.374.

El Álbum Mexicano was a miscellaneous journal with the peculiar trait of having fine writing as its lead protagonist. This stands out in the periodical’s subtitle and, above all, in the series Las Flores Animadas, which appeared in each issue, along with engravings by J. J. Grandville. This article explores the characteristics of El Álbum Mexicano to determine if it can be considered a distinctive and innovative editorial project with a higher focus on aesthetic content than other journals. To achieve this, the concept of “album” is compared to other analogues, such as “mosaic” and “museum”. Furthermore, this paper discusses the notions of literature and belles lettres by considering the presence of artistic writings in the periodical. These notions are also problematized with a basis on literary costumbrismo and its sketches of manners.

Keywords : Mexican literary journals; El Álbum Mexicano; literature; costumbrismo; Ignacio Cumplido.

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