Noucentisme: Spanish Cultural Renewal (1906-1923)

Noucentisme: The 1914 Generation in Spain

Noucentisme, also known as the Generation of 1914, was a significant cultural renewal movement in Spanish art and literature. Extending roughly from 1906 to 1923, it emerged as a reaction to and an overcoming of both Modernism and the Generation of '98.

Core Principles and Aesthetic Values

Its style is characterized by a refined and exquisite quality, driven by a strong desire for perfection and the concept of the "job well done." The aesthetic principles and main ideas of Noucentisme include:

Key Ideas of Noucentisme

• Serenity, neatness, and balance as fundamental values of a pure art, aiming solely for aesthetic pleasure.
• Intellectualism: Advocating for art directed towards intelligence rather than emotion, often intended for a minority audience.
• Rigor and precision in conceptual ideas.
• In poetry, a deliberate escape from romantic sentimentality and modernist motifs.
• In the novel, a contempt for Realism: the writer's task was not to reproduce reality. While the argument remained a fundamental value, the emphasis was placed on artistic values like construction and style.

Prominent Authors and Works

Among the essayists, Eugenio d'Ors, Gregorio Marañón, Manuel Azaña, and Américo Castro held significant positions. However, the most prominent figure was José Ortega y Gasset, renowned for works such as The Revolt of the Masses and The Dehumanization of Art.

Notable novelists include Ramón Pérez de Ayala (Troteras y Danzaderas, Tiger Juan) and Gabriel Miró (Cerezas del Cementerio, El Obispo Leproso).

Juan Ramón Jiménez: A Central Figure

Undoubtedly, the most representative author of this period is Juan Ramón Jiménez. This influential poet, a key reformer of 20th-century Spanish poetry, significantly facilitated the emergence of the avant-garde and the Generation of '27. Juan Ramón Jiménez himself divided his extensive work into three distinct stages:

Stages of Juan Ramón Jiménez's Work

• Sensitive Stage: This period encompasses his beginnings, later accompanied by Neoromantic and Modernist influences. Works from this period include Souls of Violet, Nympheas, Arias Tristes, and Elegies.
• Intellectual Stage: This stage sees the elimination of rhetorical flourishes, focusing instead on the poem's pure essence. This period began with Diary of a Newly Married Poet, featuring short poems in free verse that sought to express the essence of things, representing a poetry of ideas rather than feelings.
• True or Enough Stage: This final stage is characterized by deeply philosophical poetry embodied in language. During this time, Jiménez expressed mystical and metaphysical experiences, often identifying God with Beauty and Nature. Notable works from this period include On the Side and Animal de Fondo (later included in God Desired and Desiring).