18th Century Enlightenment: A Cultural and Literary Revolution
1. Introduction: The Enlightenment
The 18th century witnessed the rise of the Enlightenment, a transformative intellectual and cultural movement that emphasized reason and empirical observation over tradition. Originating in France with thinkers like Montesquieu, who advocated for the separation of powers, and Voltaire, a key disseminator of Enlightenment ideas, this movement spread rapidly across Europe. Diderot and D’Alembert’s Encyclopedia, a compendium of contemporary knowledge, became a symbol of the new intellectual era.
The Enlightenment championed the economic value of work and commerce, empowering individuals to pursue personal welfare and contribute to societal well-being. Following the decline of the Golden Age (16th-17th centuries), marked by military defeats and economic hardship, the Enlightenment offered a new direction. The arrival of the Bourbon dynasty in Spain facilitated the dissemination of these new ideas, known as “Enlightenment” or “Lights” of reason and experience, challenging prevailing superstitions and ignorance.
18th century Spain embarked on a period of revitalization, encompassing political, economic, and cultural spheres. Numerous scholars, scientists, historians, linguists, and artists emerged, representing diverse trends such as Neoclassicism, Rococo, and Pre-romanticism. Art became a vehicle for social improvement, embracing classical ideals of clarity, universality, and credibility.
2. Historical and Cultural Context
Political Context
The turn of the century coincided with a dynastic shift. The Habsburg dynasty ended with the death of Charles II, and Philip V ascended the throne, ushering in the Bourbon dynasty. This transition led to the War of Succession, with England backing the Habsburg claim. Spain lost European territories to England and underwent a centralization of state power.
Cultural Context
Widespread illiteracy persisted in 18th century Spain. Universities lagged behind in mathematics, medicine, and biology, with Latin favored over vernacular languages. Scholasticism and Aristotelianism remained dominant. However, the novatores, advocating for reason and experience in science and theology, paved the way for the Enlightenment in Spain. Their ideology spread through the press and Societies of Friends of the Country.
Enlightened Reform
The dissemination of Enlightenment ideals was facilitated through educational reforms, publications advocating societal regeneration, and gatherings that evolved into academies and societies. The Royal Spanish Academy, the Academy of History, and the Academy of Fine Arts were established, alongside schools promoting science, arts, and technology. Theater became a tool for social transformation.
Artistic Styles
- Rococo: A light and superficial style characterized by moral indifference, caprice, and gallantry.
- Neoclassicism: The quintessential Enlightenment art form, reviving classical models with the principle of “docere delectable” (teaching with delight).
- Pre-romanticism: Foreshadowing the Romantic movement of the late 18th century.
3. Prose in the 18th Century
Aligned with the Enlightenment spirit, writers produced didactic works emphasizing decorum, virtue, and moral rectitude. Critical genres, essays, and morally instructive literature gained prominence. Clarity of style ensured accessibility for a wider audience.
4. The Fable
Fables, with their moral teachings, experienced a resurgence in popularity. Authors like Félix María de Samaniego, known for his Fables in Castilian Verse, and Tomás de Iriarte, author of Literary Fables, drew inspiration from Aesop, Phaedrus, and La Fontaine.
5. Romanticism
Romanticism, a cultural and artistic movement marking the beginning of modernity, laid the groundwork for the liberal bourgeois state.
Key Features
- Freedom: Individual, social, moral, political, and artistic.
- Subjectivism: Emphasis on individual expression and the artist’s perspective.
- Historicism: Interest in vernacular languages and medieval literature.
- Irrationalism and Evasion: Exploration of legends, fantasy, and mystery.
Themes
Freedom, power, justice, the meaning of life, human destiny, and love.
Styles
Rejection of traditional beliefs, colloquialisms, subjectivity, and the evolution of language from medieval romance.
Context
- Carlist Wars (civil wars between liberals and absolutists).
- Rise of the capitalist system and the liberal state.
- Complex and incomplete societal transformation.
Cultural and Ideological Aspects
: – Development of press and publishing industry – opinion journalism, works … …. . / – Love of reading, creation of reading rooms, discussion groups. – More literacy. / – Entertainment of the aristocracy and bourgeoisie (theater, concerts, bullfights, … ..)