Catalan Literature: From Avant-Garde to Modernism
The Avant-Garde Movement in Catalan Literature
The Avant-Garde emerged during the First World War, fighting to renew art and literature by creating new forms of expression. This movement manifested in various forms, including:
- Futurism: Celebrates progress and proclaims freedom.
- Cubism: Calligram is its literary manifestation.
- Dadaism: Rebelled against the world by denying art and culture.
- Surrealism: Based on psychoanalytic theory to explore new avenues of artistic expression.
General Characteristics of the Avant-Garde
- Rejection of the bourgeois class and its way of life.
- Defense of modernity and cosmopolitanism.
- Research in the field of rhetoric and literary forms, as well as musical arts.
- Synthesis and incorporation of all the arts into a single experience.
Noucentisme: A Reaction to Modernism
Noucentisme was an ideological and artistic movement that emerged in the early twentieth century as a reaction against Naturalism and Modernism. It championed the serenity and order of classicism in contrast to Modernism’s exuberance. This criticism of Modernism and the traditional approach demonstrated a conservative stance, attacking the heterogeneous European influences that Modernism had championed. Noucentisme attempted to recreate an ideal world that prioritized beauty and perfection, contrasting with Naturalism’s focus on representing reality in detail.
The origins of Noucentisme can be traced back to 1906, marked by three significant events: the publication of Eugeni d’Ors’ Glossary of Noucentisme in La Veu de Catalunya and the release of two books, Els fruits saborosos and La nacionalitat catalana. In 1907, Pompeu Fabra initiated spelling reform and the standardization of the Catalan language.
While there are differences between Modernism and Noucentisme, such as the latter’s moderate ruralism and affinity for spontaneity and romance, both movements are not entirely antagonistic. There are instances where Noucentisme embraced rural themes or when Modernists criticized uneducated spontaneity.
The Nineteenth-Century Aesthetic: A Call for Civility
Noucentisme proclaimed a new aesthetic, ethical, and political civility, drawing inspiration from classicism. This recovery of the classics opposed both Naturalism and Modernism. In poetry, it rejected spontaneity and opted for a perfect form of expression. It also advocated for the intellectual’s intervention in society and institutions, from the press to literature. Noucentisme favored poetry and essays over the novel, utilizing the press and books to disseminate its ideas. In narrative, the short story dominated, as the novel was deemed unsuitable for addressing the social problems of the industrialized world. Noucentisme sought to transform the harsh realities of the time into beauty.
Key Figures in Catalan Literature
Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906)
A Norwegian Modernist author who criticized the upper classes and defended the lower classes in his works, primarily plays. His works often depict the struggle for societal modernization and the clash with old habits.
Post-Civil War Literature
From 1950 onwards, the novel and short story regained the importance they held before the Spanish Civil War. The main literary trends were:
- The Psychological Novel: Focuses on the analysis of the inner world and moral life of a character. Mercè Rodoreda is a prominent representative.
- Realist Novel: Denounces the reality of the time. Manuel de Pedrolo and Manuel de Villalonga are key figures.
Outside of these classifications, Josep Pla and Pere Calders are also noteworthy authors.
Joan Salvat-Papasseit (1894-1924)
A self-taught poet and one of the leading representatives of the avant-garde in Catalonia. He began writing articles on Art Nouveau literature in Spanish and was interested in socialist, anarchist, and nationalist ideas. His first books, Poemes en ondes hertzianes and L’irradiador del port i les gavines, incorporate elements of Cubism (broken syntax, visual elements) and Futurism (exaltation of the machine, freedom of expression, varied fonts). Later, he abandoned avant-garde techniques to create a more personal and intimate style.
Josep Maria de Sagarra
Achieved success as a poet and playwright before venturing into the novel, becoming one of the most comprehensive Catalan writers of the twentieth century. His extraordinary command of language is reflected in all three genres. Sagarra’s novelistic trajectory began in 1919 with Paulina Buxareu, which aimed to address the scarcity of works in this genre. Ten years later, he published Vida privada. His collections of newspaper articles, such as Cafè, copa i puro (1929), Memòries (1954), and La ruta blava (1964), are also notable.
Josep Vicenç Foix
A pivotal figure who contributed significantly to the diffusion of avant-garde art. In addition to promoting the avant-garde, Foix wrote prose narratives that attempted to reproduce the free flow of dreams. After these works, which reveal the influence of several avant-garde movements, particularly Surrealism, Foix evolved towards a position that distanced itself from the aesthetic orthodoxy of the avant-garde while retaining its spirit of modernity.
Bernat Metge
The most representative figure of Catalan humanism. He belonged to the bourgeoisie. His most important work, Lo somni, was written to defend himself against accusations that led to his imprisonment.
Víctor Català
The pseudonym of Caterina Albert i Paradís. Considered a major novelist of Catalan Modernism, her work Solitud is essential reading.
Narcís Oller
Considered the creator of the modern Catalan novel.