19th Century Spain: Modernism and the Generation of ’98
Final Crisis of the Century: Modernism and the Generation of ’98
The 19th century saw the rise of two movements in opposition to contemporary artistic styles: Realism, Modernism, and the Generation of ’98.
Historical and Cultural Context
The late 19th century experienced a significant decline. Two historical events profoundly impacted writers of this period:
- Colonial Wars: The loss of Spain’s last colonies, Cuba and Puerto Rico, led to a deep economic crisis. Intellectuals were deeply concerned, referring to this period as the Disaster of ’98.
- Restoration Crisis: Alfonso XIII ascended to the throne in 1902. The Restoration maintained bipartisanship until Primo de Rivera suspended the 1876 Constitution and imposed a dictatorship in 1923.
This crisis exacerbated social inequalities between peasants and workers, while the bourgeoisie enjoyed a better quality of life. Culturally, Spain faced significant delays, and educational institutions struggled to improve education.
Modernism vs. Generation of ’98
Modernism
Modernism maintained a rebellious and maverick attitude towards reality, advocating for aesthetic renovation in opposition to Realism. It sought beauty, spirituality, and the expression of feelings, often escaping to exotic and ideal worlds. It favored a refined and sensual style, with lyrical poetry as its primary genre.
Generation of ’98
The Generation of ’98 focused on the situation in Spain, expressing pessimism and looking to past artists for inspiration in literature and Castilian landscapes. It employed a simple and sober style with great power and significance across all cultivated genres.
Key Characteristics
Modernism
Emerging at the end of the 19th century, with Rubén Darío as a representative author, Modernists believed that Realism was vulgar, unspiritual, and detrimental to artistic beauty. They aimed to renew and restore the beauty of language.
The modern lyric was the most commonly used genre. Modernist poetry experienced significant renewal in metrics, style, and themes.
Modernists were obsessed with form, seeking the perfect word. The metric emphasized musicality and rhythm, often using acute rhymes. The style was elevated and refined. Common topics included sensuality, exoticism, universalism, intimacy, and melancholy.
Juan Ramón Jiménez
Juan Ramón Jiménez was a Spanish writer who masterfully treated Modernism. His most popular book is Platero y yo. He evolved from Modernism to pure poetry, characterized by formal perfection and beauty.
Generation of ’98
Marked by the Disaster of ’98, its authors were concerned about the crisis in Spain. Key issues included the appreciation of past literature, the study of history and Castilian landscapes, and existentialism. The style featured simple vocabulary and deep meaning. The lyrical content predominated over form. Its features included simplicity, sober vocabulary, and a sense of decline linked to the country’s crisis.
Antonio Machado
Antonio Machado was one of the greatest exponents of the poetry of the Generation. His production was mostly poetry. His themes included existential concerns, the expression of feelings, and the Castilian landscape and its people.
Narrative of the Generation of ’98
The narrative style was simple, with themes focusing on the evolution of an idealized past and the description of the Castilian plateau. Key figures include Miguel de Unamuno and Pío Baroja.
Miguel de Unamuno
Miguel de Unamuno’s themes centered on the problems of Spain and the meaning of life. His great obsession was the fear of death.
Pío Baroja
Pío Baroja’s prose used many biographical elements and was marked by a pessimistic view. His style was based on formal simplicity.
Theater
Theater was led by Ramón del Valle-Inclán with Mardi Gras, which introduced the grotesque. This literary style was characterized by a completely pessimistic, distorted, and grotesque vision. It critically sampled social reality through this lens.