Pityusa

José María Llanas Aguilaniedo (1875-1921) is a pivotal, though often overlooked, figure in Spanish Modernismo and Decadentism. His novel *Pityusa* (1907) is a quintessential example of fin-de-siècle anxieties, intertwining scientific theories of degeneration with a subversive aesthetic vision. Llanas's work, which also includes the criminological study *La mala vida en Madrid*, explores the nexus of positivism, aesthetic ideals, and the evolving concept of neurosis in contemporary society.

The novel centers on a complex love triangle involving Pityusa, a high-class courtesan from Ibiza, the weak and feminized Nikko, and his decadent uncle Tinny. Set largely on the island of Menorca, the narrative explores themes of inherited pathology, psychological illness, and the intoxicating allure of artificiality. Llanas masterfully challenges prevailing scientific discourses (Lombroso, Nordau) that pathologized fin-de-siècle sensibilities, instead proposing an "emotivism" where art serves as a therapeutic antidote to modern neuroses.

Menorca itself becomes a character, an oppressive space fostering degeneration and artificial identities, where traditional notions of masculinity and femininity blur. Pityusa, embodying both hysteria and the independent spirit, ultimately rebels against Tinny's attempts to control her through hypnotic manipulation, culminating in a violent act of liberation. This work critically examines the crisis of masculine identity, the scientific gaze's control over female bodies, and the unpredictable nature of desire, leaving readers with a provocative vision of a fluid, rebellious femininity at the dawn of the 20th century.