Spanish Authors
He wrote the most popular Spanish novel, Don Quijote de la Mancha, which was published in two parts, 1st in 1605, 2nd in 1615. In Don Quijote de la Mancha, he recounts the adventures of Alonso Quijano, an old man who goes crazy after reading too many chivalric novels. In his altered state, he believes he is Don Quijote de la Mancha a knight on a search for love. The book is considered a parody of the chivalric books of the times.
Who is Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra?
A navigator who sailed to the West to find a route to the East under the approval of the Catholic Kings of Spain. He had three ships, the Pinta, the Niña, and the Santa Maria. He arrived at the new world in Oct. 1492. He is considered the first of the European "discoverers" of America, though he died without knowing he had not landed in the East Indies.
Who is Cristobal Colon?
A Spanish painter born in Malaga. He is mainly known for his cubist paintings, though he also painted surrealist works. Artists such as El Greco and Francisco Goya inspired him. Many of his works have a political inspiration. He hated the fascist government of Franco, and he turned to communism. His best-known works include Guernica, Dora Maar au chat, and Massacre en Correo.
Who is Pablo Ruiz Picasso?
A particular type of performance art that mixes theater and music. In this art, singing and speaking take turns. It originated in Spain in the 17th century. The pieces were popular with kings and other members of the privileged class. In Spain, its popularity started to decline with the arrival of opera. Nevertheless, they continued to be popular in other countries like Cuba. In the 19th and 20th century, they became popular in Spain again. Famous composers of this performance art include Amadeo Vives, Federico Chueca, Jose Serrano, and Jacinto Guerrero.
What is the zarzuela?
The successful history of this started in the 1930s with Luis Buñuel, who was the first Spanish director to be recognized internationally through such films as Belle de Jour, El discreto encanto de la burguesia, and Ese oscuro objeto del deseo. He was associated with the surrealist movement and worked in Spain, France, Mexico, and the US. Carlos Saura (La Madriguera, Cria Cuervos, Sweet Hours) was also a world-known Spanish director beginning in the 1950s. Pedro Almodovar's works (Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios, Todo acerca de mi madre, Volver) are well known in both Europe and the Americas and have made household names of actors who worked in his films.
What are the artists and films of Spanish cinema?
A Spanish writer who wrote poetry, theater, plays, and prose. He founded the Teatro Nacional de España, and is known as the father of modern comedy. Important subjects of his work are national history and honor. Theater pieces include El perro del hortelano, La viuda de Valencia, and Fuente Ovejuna. His works in prose include Arcadia, El peregrino, and La Dorotea. His poems include "El Isidro," "Rimas sacras," "La Filomena," and "La Circe."
Who is Felix Lope de Vega?
A successful Spanish conquistador who founded La Española (today's Dominican Republic and Haiti) on his first trip to the new world. Later, he conquered Cuba and arrived in Mexico. He is known as the conqueror of the Aztecs. He took advantage of the indigenous people and used his alliance with the Tlaxcaltecs to defeat the Aztec empire. He was governor and General Captain of Nueva Española, and he was responsible for the abuse of other native people in the north of the country.
Who is Hernan Cortes?
He was a Spanish surrealist painter. He began his career as a cubist but soon, under the influence of other artists in Paris, became a surrealist. Among his best-known pieces are La persistencia de la memoria, Metamorfosis de Narciso, La cesta del pan, El hombre invisible, and Ultima cena.
Who is Salvador Dali?
Also known as El libro del consejo, it was written in the Mayan-Quiche language and later translated into Spanish. Lots of controversy surrounds who wrote and translated the book. In this work, the author compiles the Mayan myths that explain the creation of the world, the history of the Mayans, and some Mayan traditions. It is considered an important source regarding the Mayan people of the Pre-Colombian period.
What is the Popol Vuh?
This facility was created in 1713 and is responsible for regulating the Spanish language. They seek to provide linguistic agreement and a common standard among all the Spanish-speaking regions. It has a formal procedure to incorporate new words, and it periodically publishes dictionaries and grammars. This facility is located in Madrid and is affiliated with other national language facilities in 21 Spanish-speaking countries.
What is The Real Academia Española?
Also known as the Countess, was an important novelist from the last decades of the 19th century. She tried to introduce naturalism in Spain. She wrote stories, novels, and poetry. Most of her works deal with the life and customs of Galicia; the author uses her characters and situations to study the human condition. Her best-known pieces are Los pasos de Ulloa, La madre naturaleza, Cuentos de la tierra, and La tribuna.
Who is Emilia Pardo Bazan?
In 1934, he led a campaign against the Republican government and divided Spain between rightists and leftists. In 1936, the Spanish Civil War started and lasted three years. He defeated the Republicans and established an absolute dictatorship. Spain changed significantly under his control. Political prisoners under his regime included scientists, artists, writers, teachers, and professors. His dictatorship was supported by the church and the army. The dictatorship was defined by its oppression, lack of freedom, fidelity to the Catholic Church, and support from the Spanish financial oligarchy. He continued as a dictator until he died in 1975.
Who is General Francisco Franco?
A Spanish painter born in 1746. He went from baroque, to rococo, then neoclassicism, and expressionism. He worked in the Real Fabrica de Tapices de Madrid and later appointed court painter. He was the first artist to paint what he wanted and not what the king or church told him to paint. His paintings are mainly historic. His piece El tres de mayo shows the execution of Spanish soldiers by the French army. His best works are La maja desnuda, La maja vestida, El dos de mayo, and the series of prints, Caprichos.
Who is Francisco Goya?
Also known as Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea, it was written by Fernando de Rojas in 1499. Many considered it the first Spanish novel. The piece has 21 acts. It deals with the seduction of a young virgin, Melibea, and how an old woman tries to arrange this seduction for Calisto, the man who loves Malibea. The work begins in an orchard where Calisto meets Melibea and falls madly in love with her. Melibea does not feel the same for Calisto. Calisto goes to the old woman for help. After being together for some time, they fall in love and the old woman's help is not needed anymore, which causes a lot of trouble. By the end, almost all the characters have died. Other characters include Sempronio, Elicia, Parmeno, and Pleberio.
What is La Celestina?
This is varied and reflects its history. It had significant Roman influence from when it was part of the Roman Empire. It then incorporated Arab features, especially in the area of Cordoba, under the Moors' domination. Romanesque and gothic elements were later integrated. The 20th century brought Modernism to this, with Antoni Gaudi and Barcelona as its center.
What are the main characteristics of Spanish architecture?
A Spanish author who wrote realist novels, dramas, and chronicles. He is best known for his historic novels in which he mixed reality with fiction. His main goal in writing was to find and analyze the origins of the Spanish revolution of the 19th century. He wrote Episodios nacionales, in which he exposes the intimacy of Spaniards of the 19th century taking into account national historical facts that marked the country's collective destiny. His best known works are: Doña Perfecta, Gloria Fortunata y Jacinta, and Misericordia.
Who is Benito Perez Galdos?
An author from the generation of 98', a group of Spanish writers, essayists, and poets that were affected by the moral, political, and social crisis in Spain in the last decades of the 19th century. His main message was that Spain needed to abandon its traditions and integrate with Europe. In his best-known essay, "Del sentimiento tragico de la vida," he exposed the conflict between reason and faith.
Who is Miguel Unamuno?
A Spanish painter of the 17th century. Born in Seville, he moved to Madrid where he became the court painter for King Philip IV. He lived in Italy for a long time but later returned to Madrid, where he died. He was mainly a portraitist, producing historical and cultural depictions of royalty, notables, and commoners. His most famous painting is Las Meninas, a baroque portrayal of the Infanta Margarita, one of the daughters of the king, surrounded by maids of honor and other members of the court. Impressionists and realists of the 19th century and modern painters such as Picasso and Dali used his art as a model for their work.
Who is Diego Velazquez?
This structure was built between the 12th and 13th century in Granada when the moors occupied Spain. After the Spaniards recovered their land, the Catholic kings built their own palaces here, therefore it has both Islamic and Christian architectural elements. It is a very large complex, with several buildings and different components, including courts, fountains, gardens, etc. It is known for its ornamentation, which is made of marble, stucco, and tile. It continues to be a popular tourist attraction, and in 1984, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What is The Alhambra?
Three groups of islands belong to Spain: the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, and Melilla and Ceuta. The Balearic Islands are in the Mediterranean Sea and include Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza. The capital is Palma de Mallorca. The Canary Islands are in the Atlantic Ocean and include Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas. Their capitals have the same name as the islands. Melilla and Ceuta are north of Morocco, and they are less significant than the Balearic and Canary islands.
What are the Spanish possessions?
He wrote dramatic pieces, poetry, and theater. He was a super-realist. In his works, he offers a separate world with creations that oscillate between reality and fantasy. Among his dramas are: Bodas de sangre, Yerma, and La casa de Bernarda Alba. Some of his poems include Libro de poemas, Romancero gitano, and Poeta en Nueva York. He lived in New York and studied English at Colombia University. He returned to Spain in 1930. In 1936, he was assassinated a few days after the Spanish Civil War started.
Who is Federico Garcia Lorca?
Who is Alfonso X or Alfonso el Sabio?
A Spanish opera singer known as one of the three most famous tenors of Spain. He was born in Spain but educated in Mexico. In the 1960s, he came back to Spain where he was a great success. Some of the operas he has done include Marina, Rigoletto, Carmen, Madame Butterfly, and Don Rodrigo. He also performed as a conductor. He first sang at the New York Metropolitan Opera in 1968 and holds the record of being the singer that has appeared there the most times.
Who is Placido Domingo?
This book was anonymously written in about 1140. It is in the style of a singing poem, a popular literary form in medieval Spain. It takes place during the Reconquista when the Spaniards were trying to regain control of their land from the Arabs that had been in the country since 711. The main character is Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, who is seeking to recover his honor after being exiled by King Alfonso VI. He takes part in the battle of Valencia and after recovering his honor, his two daughters marry the heirs of the house of Carrion, relatives of the King. These men mistreat the girls and almost kill them. The Cid fights against the bad husbands and after defeating them, the daughters marry the heirs of the house of Navarra and Aragon. Due to this, Cid is known as the man who unified Spain during the Reconquista.
What is El cantar del mio Cid?
Today, Spain is a democracy under a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a hereditary monarchy and a bicameral parliament. It is a member of the European Union and its currency is the euro. Spain's capital is Madrid, and its population was estimated at 47 million. Other important cities include Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Seville, and Zaragoza. Regarding religion, Roman Catholics continue to be the most numerous. Due to Spain's climate, rich historical and cultural quality, and geographic position, tourism has become one of its main sources of income for the country. Spain is also an important developer and producer of renewable energy, specifically solar power.