The 4 most important BAROQUE writers and CHARACTERISTICS

What is known as the baroque period, like any other period in the history of art and literature, has some specific exponents. Thus, it was in the middle of the 16th century that, in Europe and Latin America, a cultural movement charged with darkness and pessimism began to develop. In this lesson from a teacher we will discover the most outstanding Spanish Baroque writers and his main works.

The Spanish Baroque writers invented in a context framed by Catholicism and the end of the Renaissance, a time full of serenity, optimism and enhancement of human virtues. On the contrary, between the 16th and 17th centuries the Baroque was constituted as a pessimistic response, with an awareness of ephemeral life and death, both on a pictorial and literary level. Let's see some of the prominent authors within this artistic movement.

Miguel de Cervantes (1547 - 1616)

As a Spanish novelist, poet and playwright, it is said that it was the literary bridge between the Renaissance and the Baroque. Cervantes chose his art just in the period of time that includes what is known as the Spanish Golden Age, a time of flowering of the Castilian fine arts and letters.

The life of Cervantes was marked by trips both in Spain and abroad, in countries like Italy. He also had various life experiences such as his participation in the Santa Liga army or his capture at the hands of pirates. Undoubtedly, this amalgamation of experiences, as well as its historical context and creative spirit gave rise to its writing, an activity that has positioned him to this day as one of the main references in literature world. Within their most recognized works we find:

• La Numantia (1582)
• The galatea (1585)
• The ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha (1605 and 1615)

Lope de Vega (1562 - 1635)

Lope de Vega is another of the most important Spanish Baroque writers. As one of the crucial exponents in dramaturgy, Lope de Vega he was called Fénix de los ingenios. He then renewed Spanish literature and theater. Also prolific in poetry, he was friends with authors such as Francisco Quevedo and Juan Ruiz Alarcón.

Both the life and the work of the author are coarse, loaded with love affairs and sour moments. With themes that ranged from the abuse of power by the nobles to love, Lope de Vega wrote narrative, poetry and theater. So, we can highlight titles What:

• Sourceovejuna (1619)
• The dog in the manger (1618)
• The Knight of Olmedo (1625)

Luis de Góngora y Argote (1561 - 1627)

The son of a wealthy Spanish family, he had a broad education that led him to study at the University of Salamanca. From a young age he showed a talent for letters, which came to surprise figures like Ambrosio de Morales. As a rationer in the Cathedral of Córdoba, he had the opportunity to travel to different parts of Spain.

Mainly his prose is loaded with a light and humorous style, almost with a satirical streak that led to the bad humor of some bishops. By drinking from Greco-Roman mythology and seeking patrons to finance his work, Luis de Góngora stood out for its originality. In the same way, a certain darkness is appreciated in his poetry, a characteristic that he shares with other Baroque writers. In his work we can rescue books like:

• Fable of Pyramus and Thisbe (1608)
• Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea (1612)
• Solitudes (1613)

Francisco de Quevedo (1580 - 1645)

Quevedo is the last of the great writers of the Spanish Baroque. He earned his name as a poet in the city of Valladolid, although he was born in Madrid. Right there, his rivalry with Luis de Góngora. Besides his art, Francisco de Quevedo worked in politics with the court, as well as his parents who had high positions in said institution of the kingdom.

Although in his work we find burlesque sonnets, in most of him Quevedo highlighted his Baroque thinking with poems that speak of time, death and melancholy. He wrote novels like History of the life of the Buscón, but his poems usually take center stage when talking about his work. Thus, we can mention titles such as:

• The Demon Bailiff (1610)
• The chiton of the tarabillas (1630)
• The Cradle and the Grave (1634)

We have seen some of the most important Spanish Baroque Writers and now it would be worthwhile, to close this article, to comment broadly on what this artistic movement consisted of.

As we have already mentioned, it arose around the seventeenth century, before the period known as Neoclassicism. In a context marked by epidemics, wars and darkness, the Baroque molded an art that moved away from the exuberance and luminosity of the Renaissance. In both painting and literature we can identify a burden of darkness, political satire and a marked religious environment.

Along these lines, the main features of the baroque literature could be summarized in the following points:

1. Topics that address the passage of time, death and dualism.
2. Contrasts between light and shadows. Mentions to the dream world and the dark world.
3. The use of cultisms and the benefit of the Greco-Latin tradition
4. Pessimism in response to Renaissance art.