1902 Generation: Literary Renewal in Spain
Breaking with Realism
While literary history often distinguishes between the Generation of ’98 and Modernism, both movements share a crucial commonality: a rejection of late 19th-century Realism. They viewed Realism as bourgeois, stale, and mundane. This shared rejection led them to explore new forms of expression, intensified by the social and political upheaval following the loss of Spain’s last colonies. This period, culminating in 1902, saw a surge of critical perspectives, particularly within
Read MoreDon Juan Tenorio: A Romantic Reimagining
What Makes Zorrilla’s Work Original?
The theme of Zorrilla’s drama was not new, having been explored by authors like Gabriel Téllez for centuries. Zorrilla’s romantic version, written in twenty days, differentiates itself through subtle details and new elements. However, the key difference lies in the protagonist’s nature.
Unlike other Don Juan portrayals, Zorrilla’s Don Juan undergoes a radical transformation upon falling in love with Doña Inés, the ideal woman. This sacrificial love enables his
Read More19th Century Romanticism: History, Social & Cultural Change
XIX Century: Historical, Social & Cultural Transformations
Social and Political Upheaval
The 19th century was a period marked by significant social tensions, political turmoil, and transformative changes. The French Revolution (1789) triggered a profound crisis, leading to the dismantling of the ancien régime. Socially, the old estate system gave way to a class-based society, with the bourgeoisie (the aristocracy of money) replacing the nobility. This shift coincided with rapid industrial development
Read MoreApollo and Daphne: Bernini’s Baroque Masterpiece
Apollo and Daphne (1622-25) by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Context
Historical Context
- Continental confrontation between Catholic and Protestant Europe.
- Italy as a battleground for European political and administrative powers.
- The unique position of Italy, and specifically the Papal States.
Cultural Context
- Rome as the artistic center of the early 17th century.
- Artistic and cultural renewal of Rome to strengthen the Church and papal authority.
- The Church, particularly in Rome, as the main patron of the arts.
- Counter-
Romantic Drama in 19th Century European Theater
The Rise of Romantic Drama
In the first half of the 19th century, a new theatrical genre emerged: romantic drama. This genre was characterized by freedom of formal expression and reflected the new romantic sensibility. Romantic drama was built on contrasts, combining:
- Tragic and comic elements
- Verse and prose
- Grandiloquent and simple tones
- Supernatural and factual occurrences
- The sublime and the grotesque
It broke with the classical three unities and presented the following key features:
- Intriguing and
Spanish Renaissance Literature: Garcilaso, Fray Luis, San Juan
Garcilaso de la Vega
As a poet and a man, Garcilaso de la Vega can be considered the prototype of the courtier: gallant, conversationalist, humanist, and poet. He renewed love poetry concepts and introduced a new sensibility, recovering classical forms and introducing new metrical forms.
Topics
Key issues are:
- Petrarch’s love-conception: It is an impossible love inspired by his muse. Garcilaso always presented his beloved with the Petrarchan canon of beauty.
- Idealized nature, refined and harmonious: