Norah Borges Illustrates Two Spanish Women Poets

This article examines the illustrations that Argentine artist Norah Borges (1901-1998) provided for two volumes of poetry written by Concha Méndez and Carmen Conde in the 1930s, Canciones de mar y tierra (1930) and Júbilos (1934). Arguing that the artist’s style and her penchant for the representation of children and angels is an ambiguous one,Quance suggests that the illustrations can accommodate both Méndez’s spirited rebellion and Conde’s nostalgic recreation of herown childhood. She suggests that the drawings interpret the texts,despite the artist’s wish to remain unobtrusive.