Key Authors of 19th Century Spanish Literature

Spanish Romanticism and Costumbrismo

Key Authors and Works

• Ramón de Mesonero Romanos: Known for costumbrista works like Escenas Matritenses.
• José de Larra: Famous for his critical "Articles" ("Artículos"), including El castellano viejo and Vuelva usted mañana.
• Serafín Estébanez Calderón: Wrote Escenas Andaluzas.

Early European Influences

Spanish Romanticism was influenced by European figures such as Chateaubriand, Henry Fielding, Daniel Defoe, and Sir Walter Scott. Lyrical influences include Lord Byron, while Victor Hugo impacted theater, and Alexandre Dumas influenced novels with works like The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers.

Notable Romantic Writers

• José de Larra: Also noted for his youthful contributions.
• Enrique Gil y Carrasco: Author of El Señor de Bembibre.
• Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda and Rosalía de Castro: Prominent female writers of the period.
• Fernán Caballero (Cecilia Böhl de Faber): Penned the novel La Gaviota.

Spanish Realism

European Influences

Spanish realist novelists drew inspiration from European counterparts like:

• Stendhal: The Red and the Black
• Charles Dickens: Oliver Twist, David Copperfield
• Honoré de Balzac: His extensive La Comédie Humaine (85 novels)
• Gustave Flaubert: Madame Bovary

Major Realist Authors

• Pedro Antonio de Alarcón: Wrote El sombrero de tres picos, which inspired music by Manuel de Falla.
• Juan Valera: Author of Pepita Jiménez and Juanita la Larga.
• José María de Pereda: Known for works depicting regional customs, such as Escenas montañesas, De tal palo, tal astilla, Sotileza, and Peñas arriba.
• Benito Pérez Galdós: A prolific and central figure, whose work includes:
  1. Historical Novels: The 48 volumes of the Episodios Nacionales.
  2. Novels of Character / Thesis Novels.
  3. Contemporary Novels.
  4. Works focusing on Social Justice: Such as Ángel Guerra, Nazarín, Misericordia, and El Abuelo.

Spanish Naturalism

Key Figures and Concepts

Naturalism, often seen as an exaggerated form of Realism, was heavily influenced by Émile Zola and employed concepts like biological determinism. It often featured sordid characters and environments, described with meticulous detail.

• Emilia Pardo Bazán: A key proponent, author of Los Pazos de Ulloa and La Madre Naturaleza.
• Leopoldo Alas "Clarín": Famous for La Regenta, a chronicle of life in the fictional city of Vetusta (based on Oviedo), portraying a morally oppressive society indifferent to modernity, centered on the protagonist Ana Ozores. His second novel was Su único hijo. He also wrote acclaimed short stories like ¡Adiós, Cordera! and Pipá.
• Armando Palacio Valdés: Works include Marta y María, La hermana San Sulpicio, and La aldea perdida.
• Vicente Blasco Ibáñez: A defender of Republican ideals with anarchist sympathies. His early works are set in Valencia: Arroz y tartana, Flor de Mayo, Entre naranjos, and Cañas y barro. He later wrote anti-war novels centered around World War I.

19th Century Spanish Theater

Costumbrismo and Realism

The theater of the 19th century included satirical plays depicting the customs (costumbres) of the time, such as Bretón de los Herreros's El pelo de la dehesa. Realistic theater emerged with the alta comedia (high comedy).

Alta Comedia

The alta comedia is a form of realistic drama addressing the concerns, characters (personajes), and settings of everyday reality (realidad cotidiana). It develops psychological analysis of its characters, often with a didactic or moral intention (intención didáctica o moral). An example is Locura de amor by Manuel Tamayo y Baus.

Modern Drama

José Echegaray wrote historical and contemporary dramas and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Zarzuela and Género Chico

This popular genre combines lyrical drama, spoken dialogue, and song. Notable examples include:

• La Gran Vía by Federico Chueca and Joaquín Valverde.
• La verbena de la Paloma by Ricardo de la Vega and Tomás Bretón.
• Agua, azucarillos y aguardiente by Chueca.