Modernism and the Generation of ’98: Art and Philosophy
Modernism: An Aesthetic Renewal
Modernism is an aesthetic renewal movement that gathers and synthesizes vital, innovative attitudes and artistic philosophies of the late 19th century. It resulted from a crisis of bourgeois consciousness, reacting against the materialism and utilitarian spirit of the time.
Its ideal is to express beauty with a new sensitivity, using a new, precious, and groundbreaking language that departs from realism. In France, it stems from two movements:
- Parnassianism: Worships beauty, sensuousness, and perfection, advocating for art for art’s sake.
- Symbolism: Seeks to find music and art through symbols, suggesting correspondences between inner and outer reality.
Characteristics of Modernism
Modernists aim to create a new language in art and beauty in life:
- Art and beauty are their idols; they strive to transform life into art.
- They create a literature of the senses with bright plastic, phonic, and musical effects.
- In poetry, they revive Alexandrine verses and highly sonorous rhymes.
- They believe that the strange is good, embracing unusual words, metaphors, and rare images.
The Generation of ’98
The term “Generation of ’98” refers to a group of writers characterized by their focus on the theme of Spain and philosophical concerns. In contrast to the exuberant modernist aesthetic, they favored nature and a simple style that prioritized content over form.
The members of this generation include the “Group of Three” (Baroja, Azorín, and Maeztu), Unamuno, Valle-Inclán, and Antonio Machado.
Stages in the Generation of ’98
- Youth ’98: A juvenile stage of rebellion against Spanish culture and society, reflecting the crisis of bourgeois consciousness.
- Activism of the Group of Three: Azorín, Baroja, and Maeztu jointly signed articles under the pseudonym “The Three.” They published a manifesto to change the Spanish situation through a “social science” to diagnose Spain’s ills and prescribe appropriate solutions.
- Contemplative Idealism: The earlier period ends in disappointment, leading to a contemplative and skeptical idealism that is markedly individualistic.
- Maturity and Dissolution of ’98: Each author embarks on their own personal journey, but all remain committed while retaining a degree of idealism and continuing to maintain close relations.
Characteristics of the Generation of ’98
- Philosophical and Existential Concerns: Authors of the ’98 questioned the meaning of human existence, time, death, and God. They adopted an irrational philosophical perspective, with an anguished existentialist and problematic religious attitude. This created an existential conflict between contemplative, sad, and inactive thought, facing a life that seeks to affirm action.
- The Theme of Spain: Spanish reality is projected onto a subjective view capable of capturing the “sleeping soul” of Spain—the essential, which resides in the countryside, towns, and its people.
- History and Intrahistory: Critical inquiry into the past to detect the causes of Spain’s present evils also led to the discovery and appreciation of the permanent and essential. This lies not only in external history (major figures) but primarily in what Unamuno called “intrahistory” (the quiet life of millions of men without history).
- Renewal of Literary Language: Like the modernists, they felt the need to renew literary language, which they considered rhetorical. They sought a more precise language that was not reduced to formal values but rather expressed ideas significantly. They had a clear stylistic intention: usually simple and agile, favoring short phrases, coordination, short paragraphs, and a rich and precise vocabulary. They also renewed novelistic techniques.