The big ones Authors of the baroque Developed during a period that is typically considered an artistic style that used exaggerated movements as well as clear, easily interpreted details to produce drama, tension, exuberance and grandiloquence in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature, dance, theater and music [1] .
The artistic style known as Baroque arose around the year 1600 in Rome, Italy and spread throughout most of Europe. Its popularity and success were promoted by the Catholic Church, which decided during the Council of Trent, in response to the Protestant Reformation, that the arts should transmit and involve religious subjects directly.
The aristocracy found in Baroque architectural style a means by which to impress the visitors and express bonanza, power and dominion. Baroque palaces were built, surrounded by magnificent gardens, spectacular stairways and hallways filled with opulence in incremental sequences. The term Baroque, however, has transcended beyond the artistic style of that time [2] .
The word, of French origin, is believed to be derived from the Portuguese"Baroque"or from the Spanish"Barrueco". Both terms refer to a"rough or imperfect pearl". It is unknown whether the word was introduced into these languages by means of Latin, Arabic or some other source. In colloquial terms, today the term baroque denominates something that is elaborate or with many details, without necessarily referring to the artistic style of centuries XVII and XVIII.
The artistic period is usually classified in three stages: Early Baroque (1590-1625), Full Baroque (1625-1660) and Late Baroque (1660-1725). This latter stage is also known, depending on the source, as movement rococo .
The Baroque, when encompassing multiple artistic practices, had several prominent representatives. In the painting, stand out Rubens, Caravaggio and the Spanish Diego Velázquez. The Italian Bernini was one of the main sculptors of the period. Baroque architecture shone in Germany, Austria, Russia and even Mexico, where the Cathedral of Morelia in Michoacan is a clear example.
Literature also flourished during the Baroque, perhaps being the playwright William Shakespeare the most outstanding English-speaking author of the seventeenth century. In France, the baroque movement known as Grand Siecle , Was driven by Moliere, La Fontaine and Perrault.
In Spain, during the so-called Golden Age, the playwrights Pedro Calderón de la Barca and Lope de Vega, along with Juana Ines de la Cruz and Miguel de Cervantes (considered the first novelist), were the most prominent representatives.
Who are the greatest authors of the baroque? Below is a listing [3] .
Matthew German and January (1547-1615)
Spanish writer, born in Seville, where he graduated from university in 1564. According to some sources, descended from Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism after 1492 and some members of his family were persecuted by the inquisition for having maintained the Practice of Judaism.
His most representative work was Guzmán de Alfarache , A picaresque novel that had nothing more and nothing less than 16 editions in 5 years.
Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600-1681)
Playwright, poet and writer of the Spanish Golden Age. For some time in his life he was a Roman Catholic soldier and priest. It developed its work on the basis of the theatrical style initiated by Lope de Vega and was later considered the cusp of Spanish baroque theater.
His works usually show his pessimism for life that is only lessened by his rationalism and his faith in God. The life is dream Is his most remembered work.
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616)
Considered the greatest writer in Spanish language, he is believed to have been born in Alcalá de Henares in 1547. His main work, Don Quixote, is considered the first modern novel.
It is a classic of universal literature and one of the greatest works of fiction ever written. Its influence in the Spanish language has been so great that it is frequently called"the language of Cervantes".
Juana Inés de la Cruz (1651-1695)
Writer and self-taught Mexican philosopher, born in San Miguel Nepantla, was one of the main poets of the Baroque. Known in life as"The Seventh Muse".
She is considered as much Mexican writer as part of the Spanish Golden Age. The dream, a long philosophical poem, is one of his most representative works.
Jan Gawinski (1622-1684)
Polish Poet of the Baroque period, belonged to the generation of Sarmatians (the generation of John III Sobieski). He studied at Jagellon University and was a member of the court of Bishop Charles Ferdinand Vasa. His best known works are his Idylls, which glorified life in the Polish villages of Krakow.
Luis de Góngora and Argote (1561-1627)
Spanish lyric poet who, along with his eternal rival Francisco de Quevedo, is considered one of the most prominent Spanish poets of all time.
The style Gongorism (Also called culteranismo), was established by Góngora. His best known works are Solitudes Y Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea .
Baltasar Gracián (1601-1658)
Spanish Jesuit, Baroque writer and philosopher. He was born in Belmonte, near Calatayud. His works were praised by Schopenhauer and Nietzsche.
The Critic Is undoubtedly his masterpiece and one of the main events of the Golden Age. It is an allegorical novel of great extension with philosophical tonalities. Gracián is one of the most representative writers of the Spanish baroque literary style called Conceptismo.
Christian Hoffmann von Hoffmannswaldau (1616-1679)
German poet of the Baroque period, he was born and died in Breslau, where he became interested in politics in his youth, coming to occupy the position of Bürgermeister. While living, his poems circulated mainly in the form of manuscripts.
He is considered one of the most influential poets of the period. His style of poetry came to be known as Galante and was characterized by the use of extravagant metaphors and the skillful use of rhetoric and shameless eroticism.
Wespazjan Kochowski (1633-1700)
Considered one of the most notable historians and poets of the Polish baroque, as well as the clearest representative of the philosophy and literature of the Sarmatismo. During his life he was involved in the political life of his country and enjoyed great prestige among the nobility.
His top work is Non-idle idleness , A collection of several hundred verses divided into four books. He was the best friend of Jan Gawinski, another outstanding poet of the baroque.
Tobia Lionelli (1647-1714)
An Italian writer and preacher, his sermons played a preponderant role in the affirmation of the Slovene language. He was born to a Slovenian mother and an Italian father in Gorizia County.
He joined the Order of the Lesser Capuchin Friars and served in several monasteries in Slovenian lands, including the monastery of St. Francis of Assisi and in Croatia. He wrote more than 230 sermons, which he published in a series of five books entitled Sacrum promptuarium or The sacred manual.
Daniel Casper von Lohenstein (1635-1683)
Dramatist, lawyer, diplomat and baroque poet born in Silesia, historical region located between the present Poland, Czech Republic and Germany. His poetic production, considering his simultaneous work as a lawyer and diplomat, is astounding.
He was mainly known as author of theatrical pieces marked by the well-known French Classicism. He used the exaggeration and dramatization in his works to highlight the contrast against the"best reality."
Faustina Maratti (1679-1745)
Italian poet and painter of the Baroque period, born in Rome. From an early age he received a good education that included music, fine arts and, above all, poetry.
After his marriage with the poet Giambattista Felice Zappi, his house served as the seat of a well-known literary circle that included, among others, Händel, Scarlatti and Crescimbeni. Among his works are 38 published sonnets in the collection Rime Of her husband in 1723.
John Milton (1608-1674)
English poet, faithful servant of the English Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote during a time of religious flow and political uproar.
He is best known for his epic poem Lost paradise , Who wrote between 1658 and 1664 being blind. This work was followed by Paradise Recovered , Which he published in 1671 along with the tragedy Samson Agonistes .
Charles Perrault (1628-1703)
Author and member of the French Academy. He founded the foundations of a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from ancient popular stories.
Little Red Riding Hood Is the most famous of them, along with The Cinderella , The cat with boots, Beauty and the Beast . Several of them have been adapted to opera and ballet, theater and cinema.
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (1622-1673)
Better known by his stage name, Moliere , This playwright born in France is considered one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature.
Among his major works are The Misanthrope, The School of Wives, Tartufo, The Imaginary Sick, among others. Born into a prosperous family, he studied at Clermont College.
His affinity with the theater manifested itself in an early manner, when at the age of 13 years already participated like itinerant actor to polish his abilities in the comedy and at the same time like writer.
During a representation of the main character in his work The Imaginary Sick, Moliere, who suffered from tuberculosis, had a coughing attack that ended with his life.
Miguel de Molinos (1628-1696)
Spanish mystic, main representative of the religious renaissance known as Quietism . He published in 1675 his most famous work, the Spiritual Guide, which was later translated into Italian, Latin, French, Dutch, English and German.
His texts were extremely popular and by 1685 seven editions had been made in Italy and three in Spain.
Francisco de Quevedo (1580-1645)
Politician, writer and Spanish nobleman of the baroque era. Together with his eternal rival, Luis de Góngora, he was one of the most prominent poets of his time.
His style was characterized by what was called Conception , In sharp contrast to the Culteranismo Used by Góngora. His only novel was El Buscón, a work divided into three books. He also published 15 books on theological subjects, which included The cradle and the grave as well as The Providence of God .
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
Poet, playwright and English actor, considered the greatest writer in English language and the most prominent playwright of the world. His extensive work, including collaborations, consists of approximately 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems and some verses.
His works have been translated into almost all languages and have been represented more than any other playwright. His first works were comedies, considered among the best of the genre.
He later wrote mainly tragedies, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. In his later stage, he wrote tragicomedias, also known as romances and collaborated with other playwrights.
Lope de Vega (1562-1635)
Playwright, poet and Spanish novelist who was one of the key figures of the Spanish and Baroque Golden Age.
His reputation in the world of Hispanic literature is scarcely less than that of Cervantes, while his literary production has no comparison and makes him one of the most prolific authors in the history of universal literature.
Nicknamed the Phoenix of the Wits and the Monster of Nature by Cervantes himself, Lope de Vega reinvented Spanish theater and succeeded in turning it into a massive cultural phenomenon. He is credited with at least 3,000 sonnets, 3 novels, 9 epic poems and 500 theatrical works.
Théophile de Viau (1590-1626)
Poet and playwright of the French baroque, born in Clairac. He participated in the Protestant wars of Guyana between 1615 and 1616. After the war, he was freed from the army and became a brilliant young poet in the royal court.
He came into contact with the ideas of the Italian philosopher Lucilio Vanini, who doubted the immortality of the human soul. Due to his revolutionary religious ideas, Viau was expelled from France in 1619 and traveled for several years in Europe. He wrote many satirical poems, sonnets, odes and elegias.
References
- [1] What are the characteristics of the literature of the baroque period? Taken from Enotes.com .
- [2] Early American literature. Taken from Coursesite.uhcl.edu.