The Reception of Frankenstein in Spain by the Hand of its Illustrators

Abstract

This article examines the main Spanish visual readings of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein from the first illustrated edition in Spain (1944) to the significant 200th anniversary of its publication. Thus, how Mary Shelley’s novel has morphed throughout time depending on the different illustrators who have approached the text can be assessed while identifying the key illustrated editions for this period. The analysis of the illustrated reception and history of Frankenstein offers a new perspective into how the novel has been both read and “seen” in Spain. The results of this study shed light on diverse aspects of the novel such as the perception of the monster and how oft-neglected characters and episodes have been slowly added to the visual rendition of the novel.