Romanesque Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting
Examples of Romanesque Architecture
Cluny
The Abbey of Cluny III in France, now mostly destroyed, was a fundamentally important Romanesque monastery. It was considered the most extraordinary creation of the early Middle Ages. It was destroyed during the French Revolution, and only one arm of the transept remains. The abbey was made up of five naves, two transepts, and a large ambulatory.
Santiago de Compostela (Spain)
The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela houses the remains of the Apostle James
Read MoreFederico García Lorca’s Theatrical Works and Realism
Federico García Lorca’s Theatrical Works
The drama of Federico García Lorca is comparable in value to his poetry. He wrote his most famous works from 1930, and they maintain a strong thematic coherence. Lorca’s central themes are: love (both homosexual and heterosexual), impossible desire (the conflict between reality and desire), frustration, and tragic fate.
Modern Drama
Lorca’s dramatic creation began in his youth with some modernist influences. Some of his best-known titles from this period are:
Read MoreSpanish Post-War Poetry: Trends and Key Authors
Entrenched Poetry
At the center, we find a group of poets who called themselves “creative youth” and were grouped around the magazine Garcilaso, hence they are also known as the “Garcilasistas.” They turned their attention to Garcilaso de la Vega. They emerged from the conflict with an optimistic desire for clarity, perfection, and order. Using pure classical form, they enclosed a coherent, orderly, and quiet worldview (even sadness is expressed with serenity and clarity). Dominant themes include
Read MoreQuevedo: Poetry, Style, and The Life of a Scoundrel
Quevedo’s Poetic Themes
Quevedo’s poetic topics primarily focus on major and minor art forms, especially sonnets. Key themes include:
- Love Poetry: Rooted in “cancionero” lyricism, classical Latin poetry, and Petrarchan influences. Common motifs include the beautiful, unattainable beloved, the lover’s suffering, the madness of love, and love that transcends death.
- Metaphysical and Moral Poetry: Influenced by Christian morality and Stoic ideas, reflecting a deep sense of disappointment. This includes
Poem of the Cid: Summary, Context, and Characters
Poem of Mio Cid
Poem of Mio Cid tells the story of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, also known as “El Cid Campeador.” He was a real historical figure who gained widespread admiration. The poem is the only nearly complete version of a Spanish epic poem that has been preserved. It was composed in the late twelfth century by Per Abbat. The Cid is portrayed as a humane and sensible hero. The central theme revolves around the great warrior’s fall from grace and his subsequent struggle to regain royal favor and
Read MoreBaroque Poetry and Theater: Góngora, Quevedo, Calderón
Baroque Poetry: Thematic Aspects
Thematic Aspects:
- Love Poetry: Continuous love, from the Renaissance ideal to the survival of physical description, to the images of the Petrarchan beloved.
- Philosophical and Moral Poetry: Marked by pessimism, disappointment, the contrast between reality and appearance, the fugacity of life, and awareness of death.
- Burlesque Poetry: Abounds in humorous parody, mockery, personal attacks, and degradation of classical myths, themes, and style of earlier literature.