Caimán: Antonio Buero Vallejo's Intermedial Collage in Homage to Max Ernst

Abstract

ABSTRACTSpanish dramatist Antonio Buero Vallejo (1916–2000) has been called an intermedialist for his incorporation of visual art, music, and intertextual references in his theatrical works. The present study focuses on Buero's inclusion of Max Ernst's painting Los dioses oscuros (1957) in his play Caimán (1981). To date, interpretations of the painting's role in the play have been limited to its dark and somber tone and its foreboding presence, with scant attention being paid to how Ernst's artistic vision might have affected the drama. A thorough investigation of Ernst's collage aesthetic will reveal how the artist's influence on Caimán goes beyond the apparently superficial mention of one of his paintings to become part of the constructive principle of the play. In fact, Ernst is the reason why Buero's Caimán could be termed an intermedial collage.