Novecentismo (Generation of ’14): Overview and Key Figures
Novecentismo (Generation of ’14)
Introduction
The Novecentismo, also known as the Generation of ’14, represents a literary and artistic movement spanning approximately 1910 to 1930. The term “Generation of ’14” stems from its members reaching maturity around World War I.
Key Characteristics
- Rationalism: Novecentists championed intellectual rigor, objective analysis, and clear exposition, contrasting with the prior generation’s bohemian and irrational tendencies.
- European Influence: They advocated for Spain’s intellectual modernization and closer ties with European culture.
- Cultural and Political Engagement: They actively participated in cultural and political spheres, utilizing media, institutions, and policy to influence society and revitalize cultured minorities (high culture, scientific research, and minority art).
- Antiromanticism: They rejected sentimentality, favoring balanced, serene attitudes and intellectualized emotional expression.
- Emphasis on Pure Art: Art’s purpose was solely aesthetic pleasure, devoid of religious, political, or emotional concerns.
- Intellectual Elitism: Literature catered to elites, or as J.R. Jiménez put it, the “vast minority.”
- Meticulous Style: They emphasized detailed work structure and a clean, pure style.
Notable Figures
Novel
- Gabriel Miró (Alicante): Two stages mark his work: an initial modernist influence (e.g., Cemetery of Cherries) followed by a focus on formal perfection, emphasizing descriptions of sensations and environments to highlight the novel’s lyrical, aesthetic character. Miró’s detached observation incorporates criticism, irony, and caricature (e.g., Our Father Saint Daniel and Bishop Leper). Notable short story collections include The Smoke Stayed, The Book of Sigüenza, and Years and Miles.
- Ramón Pérez de Ayala (Asturias): A poet, essayist, and novelist, his poems are collected in four books: The Peace of the Trail, The Innumerable Trail, Walking the Trail, and The Blazing Trail. His poetry evolved from modernism to a more thoughtful, intellectual style. Key essays include The Masks (defending Galdós’ theater, Arniches, and criticizing modernist poetry) and Policy Bulls (critiquing Restoration Spain). His novels range from autobiographical works like Darkness at the Summits, AMDG, The Leg of a Fox, and Troteras and Danzaderas to intellectual novels like Belarmino and Apolonio, Honeymoon, Moon of Ice, The Work of Urbano and Simona, Tiger John, and The Healer of His Honor, exploring philosophical, aesthetic, and political themes. Ayala employs perspectivism, using contrasting viewpoints.
Essay
- José Ortega y Gasset (Madrid): Founder of the influential Revista de Occidente, he viewed reason as a function of life, inseparable from our circumstances (“I am myself and my circumstances”). His aesthetic ideas, outlined in The Dehumanization of Art, advocate for pure aesthetic pleasure, and in Ideas on the Novel, he champions an intellectual, dehumanized novel prioritizing form and style. Invertebrate Spain and The Revolt of the Masses explore sociological themes, attributing societal crises to the masses’ refusal to follow elite guidance. The Spectator comprises short texts on various topics, while Studies on Love equates love with mystical ecstasy.
- Eugenio d’Ors: His Glossary collects brief commentaries opposing decadent modernism. He coined the term “novecentisme.” His novel La ben plantada embodies a classical spirit, reconciling tradition and renewal. He also contributed to art criticism (Three Hours in the Prado Museum) and philosophy (Philosophy of the Man Who Works and Plays).
- Manuel Azaña: A progressive intellectual, he wrote essays on Valera, Ganivet, and Don Quixote, and kept insightful diaries. His autobiographical novels include Fresdeval and The Garden of the Monks. The Evening of Benicarlo presents dialogues reflecting on Spanish life, and he also authored the play The Corona.
- Gregorio Marañón: A physician and humanist, he wrote historical biographies (e.g., Tiberius, Henry IV of Castile) and explored literary myths (e.g., Don Juan).
- Américo Castro & Claudio Sánchez Albornoz: Known for their debate on Spain’s origins and essence in The Historical Reality of Spain and Spain, a Historical Puzzle, respectively.
- Salvador de Madariaga: Authored essays on Spanish history (Spain: Essay on Contemporary History) and literary criticism (Guide Reader of Don Quixote).
- Other Notable Figures: Santiago Ramón y Cajal (The World Seen at Eighty), Ramón Menéndez Pidal (works on medieval Spain, language, and literature), Manuel García Morente, Fernando Vela, Ramón de Basterra, Joaquín Xirau, Blas Infante, José Bergamín, and Ernesto Giménez Caballero.
Poetry
Novecentist poetry shifted from Modernism’s emphasis on intellectualism, embracing a more restrained emotional expression. Key figures include José Moreno Villa (The Passenger), Mauricio Bacarisse (translator of Verlaine), and the aforementioned Ramón Pérez de Ayala and Juan Ramón Jiménez.