Barcelona and Madrid: Social Networks of the Avant-Garde

211 Pages·2012·3.959 MB·English

by  Aránzazu Ascunce Arenas, Aránzazu Ascunce Arenas

Barcelona and Madrid
Barcelona and Madrid
Social Networks of the Avant-Garde
Aránzazu Ascunce Arenas
Published by Bucknell University Press
Co-published with The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
www.rowman.com
10 Thornbury, Plymouth PL6 7PP, United Kingdom
Copyright © 2012 by Aránzazu Ascunce Arenas
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including
information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote
passages in a review.
Photo of Sueños noctámbulos [Sleepwalking Dreams] by Salvador Dalí © Salvador Dalí. Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí.
VEGAP. Madrid, 2011.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ascunce Arenas, Aránzazu, 1974-
Barcelona and Madrid: social networks of the avant-garde / Aránzazu Ascunce.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-61148-424-3 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-61148-425-0 (electronic)
1. Barcelona (Spain)—Intellectual life—20th century. 2. Madrid (Spain)—Intellectual life—20th century. 3. Avant-garde
(Aesthetics)—Spain—Barcelona—History—20th century. 4. Avant-garde (Aesthetics)—Spain—Madrid—History—20th
century. 5. Barcelona (Spain)—Relations—Spain—Madrid. 6. Madrid (Spain)—Relations—Spain—Barcelona. I. Title.
DP402.B265A84 2012
946'.41074—dc23
2011052012
™ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information
Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Printed in the United States of America
This book is dedicated to my parents, Consuelo Carmen and Gil
Ascunce, who have taught me perseverance.
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I would like to thank God for giving me the power and strength to see this
project through. Second, I would like to thank my family and friends who have accompanied
me along this journey since the beginning or who have miraculously appeared along the way.
Third, I would like to thank my teachers and mentors who have guided and instructed me in the
art and science of academic research and writing. Finally, I would like to thank key individuals
and institutions that have supported me at various stages in very practical ways.
My nuclear family has been witness to the writing this book from beginning to end. I
especially thank my parents whose faith in me has been steadfast. I would also like to thank my
brothers, Gil Ignacio and Gabriel Ascunce, who have been my most honest critics. Not too
long before my beloved grandmother, Hilda Isabel Ascunce—she too a professor of Spanish
language and linguistics— passed away two summers ago at age ninety-one, she assured me
that this book would be published. She was right. My cousin, Marie Arenas, who is more like
the sister I never had, has opened the doors of her home and her heart during my many stays
with her while undertaking research in Spain. I am forever thankful to you all.
There are several beloved friends, dear to my heart, whom I would like to acknowledge for
their continuous encouragement over the years: Alicia López Operé, Arantxa Leziñena Loizu,
and Gonzalo Escarpa. With each of them, I have greatly enjoyed our passionate discussions
about my book virtually, over the phone, and face-to-face. Also, I would like to especially
thank those colleagues and friends who have read my manuscript in full or in part and have
given me their invaluable feedback: Gloria Beatriz Rodríguez, June Naughton, and Josep
Minguell. I also extend my gratitude to my dear friends in Barcelona and Madrid who have
supported me in many practical ways. In Madrid, I especially thank my friend Professor Ángel
Álvarez who really has been like an angel to me in the last five years. Thank you to my friend
Julio Reija, a first-class poet and talented graphic designer, for agreeing to create an original
piece of artwork for the cover of this book. In Barcelona, thank you to my former professor
Jaume Subirana, who was the first to introduce me to Catalan studies and to teach me Catalan
when I was an undergraduate student. Two other special friends in Catalonia include Miquel
Visa, who made his private library available to me, and Enric Escudero Guilló who so kindly
cared for me the summer I lived in Gràcia with him and his circle of fervent Catalanist friends.
Professor Andrew A. Anderson, one of the top contemporary scholars of the Avant-Garde in
Spain, directed the initial stages of research required for writing this book. I am grateful for his
invaluable guidance and his reliable mentorship throughout the dissertation writing process. I
would also like to thank the secondary readers of my dissertation: Professors Matthew Affron,
Enrico Cesaretti, and David Haberly, all of whom were extremely generous with their time and
specialized knowledge. Thank you also to Professors David Gies, Javier Herrero, and
Fernando Operé for your constant, enthusiastic encouragement both during and after graduate
school.
A special note of thanks to the many librarians who have assisted me in the hemerotecas
(periodical libraries) at both the Biblioteca Nacional in Madrid and the Biblioteca de
Catalunya in Barcelona; the Transatlantic Library at the Residencia de Estudiantes; the fast
and friendly inter-library loan service staff at Alderman Library at the University of Virginia,
especially Severyn Hanusz; and the Scholar’s Lab at the University of Virginia, especially
Nancy Krechner.
Last, but not least, I would like to thank the institutions that have funded various grants that
have made this book possible including the University of Hawaii, the University of Virginia,
the Fulbright Program, and the Mellon Foundation.
Chronology: Barcelona and Madrid, 1900–1939
This chronology highlights details discussed in this book. It brings attention to a series of
events that serve as landmarks for understanding the Avant-Garde in Spain from two focal
points, Barcelona and Madrid, simultaneously. The following events are not limited to literary
history, but also include events related to art, law, politics, the press, social history, sports, and
urban works. The timeline spans from 1900 until 1939, but it is focused on the years between
the arrival of the first news of Italian futurism in Spain (1909) and the debut of Dalí and
Buñuel’s surrealist short film, An Andalusian Dog (1929), which was screened first in France,
then in Spain. The events listed in each year are also organized in chronological order (from
January to December, but without indicating the months, in order to simplify the format and
because not in every case is that information available).
The objective of this chronology is to easily keep track of the activities that are relevant to a
study of the Avant-Garde in both Barcelona and Madrid, but in some instances, also beyond.
Barcelona and Madrid were not the only two cities to adopt the Avant-Garde spirit in Spain,
but for the purposes of this book, the chronology remains fixed on just these two. The entries
are not described in detail, since their contents are discussed at greater length in the chapters.
These events have been compiled over nearly one decade and from a wide array of sources,
but especially academic books, art exhibit catalogues, and my own research in various
archives.
A friend remarked that this chronology is problematic because of its abbreviated nature.
Again, the items included in it are explained in greater detail and contextualized in the body of
the book. To my knowledge, no other dual cultural chronology of the Avant-Garde in Barcelona
and Madrid of this extent exists. It was a resource that I wish would have been available to me
as I conducted my research. Since it was not, I have taken the liberty and risk of creating one. It
is a first attempt. My hope is that it will be useful, first, to detangle some of the knots that result
when composing the complicated tapestry of early twentieth-century history in Spain, and
second, to understand the complex connections at play here by watching how intimately these
two histories coil around one another, like strands of deoxyribonucleic acid.
Picasso, first individual show, Els Quatre Gats, Barcelona
1900
Picasso’s first trip to Paris
1901 Picasso moves to Madrid; from Madrid he travels to Barcelona and Paris
Arte Joven, artistic magazine founded by Picasso and a Catalan friend, Madrid
Lliga Regionalista political party established, Barcelona
First general strike in Barcelona
1902 Picasso extends a stay in Paris, where he lives with Max Jacob
General strike in Spain, sought eight-hour day and recognition of right to strike
Alfonso XIII comes of age at sixteen to rule as King of Spain
First Barcelona vs. Madrid football match in Copa del Rey
1903 Picasso returns to Barcelona
First Salon d’Automne of Paris, organized in protest of state-sponsored art shows
1904 Gabriel Alomar gives his first lecture on futurisme, Barcelona
El Poble Català (Barcelona, 1904–18), periodical
Picasso moves to Paris indefinitely
Jardines lejanos, poetry book by J. R. Jiménez
1905 Bolsheviks founded by Vladimir Lenin
Die Brücke, formation of expressionist artists group in Dresden, Germany
Salon d’Automne, Paris; fauvism first used to define works of artists shown
Garba (Barcelona, 1905–6), periodical
Military assault on Catalan press: Cu-Cut and La Veu de Catalunya
Gran Vía, a major boulevard in Madrid, is expanded
La República de las Letras (Madrid, 1905–?)
1906 Noucentisme, Barcelona; major aesthetic and cultural movement takes root
E. D’Ors published first “glosari” in Barcelona newspaper La Veu de Catalunya
Attempted murder of King Alfonso XIII
Centre Nacionalista Republicà, a political group, founded in Barcelona
Law of Jurisdictions enacted (until 1931)
Solidaritat Catalana, a political movement, established in Barcelona
Estudis Universitaris Catalans established, Barcelona
La Nacionalitat Catalana, book by E. Prat de la Riba
First Congress of the Catalan Language hosted in Barcelona
Josep Dalmau opened his first art gallery in Barcelona
1907 Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, Picasso
Law of Jurisdictions repealed
Futurisme (Barcelona, 1907), periodical
Renacimiento (Madrid, 1907); G. Alomar published “Futurismo” articles
Institut d’Estudis Catalans established, Barcelona
Celso Lagar exhibited in Madrid
Diego Rivera, Mexican artist, in Madrid until 1909
1908 Via Laietana, urban project to widen road, begins, Barcelona
Partit Republicà Radical, a political party founded by Lerroux in Barcelona
Prometeo (Madrid, 1908–12), periodical
Futurisme (Tarrasa, 1908), periodical
L. Bagaría moved to Madrid (until 1938)
1909 Solidaritat Catalana dissolved
España Futura (Madrid, 1909–10), periodical
Futurism manifesto by Marinetti published in Le Figaro, Paris
Italian futurist manifesto translated and published in Madrid (Prometeo)
General strike in Spain
Military defeated in a Rif War battle in Morocco
Tragic Week, Barcelona
Prime Minister Maura resigned
1910 CNT, an anarcho-syndicalist trade union, established in Barcelona
Marinetti’s futurist manifesto for Spaniards published in Madrid (Prometeo)
Residencia de Estudiantes founded, Madrid
Futurisme (Penedés, 1910), periodical
J. M. Sucre’s first visit to Madrid
C. Lagar moved to Madrid; visited Barcelona
Les Arts i les Artistes, an artistic group, founded in Barcelona
Sociedad de Amigos del Arte, an artistic group, founded in Madrid
1911 General strike in Spain organized by CNT
Law of the Lock enacted by government and suppressed CNT
Association of Basque Artists, an artistic group, established in Bilbao
C. Lagar moved to Paris
The Handsome Woman, novel by Eugeni D’Ors
1912 Picasso, Dalmau Gallery
Cubist Art, Dalmau Gallery
Revista de Catalunya (Barcelona, 1912–34), periodical
Mancomunitat proposal approved, Barcelona
Prime Minister Canalejas assassinated, Madrid
Collection of Marinetti manifestos translated and published in Spanish, Valencia
Campos de Castilla, poetry collection by A. Machado
Over one hundred thousand Spaniards exiled to Latin America
1913 Barradas arrived to Barcelona from Uruguay via Italy
Normes Ortogràfiques, Pompeu Fabra
Escola Català d’Art Dramàtic established, Barcelona
Mancomunitat established, Prat de la Riba elected first president
Del sentimiento trágico de la vida, Unamuno
1914 World War I (until 1918). Many artists living in Paris exiled to Spain
Revista Nova (Barcelona, 1914–16), periodical
Mancomunitat constituted, Barcelona
National Library of Catalonia established, Barcelona
Escola Superior dels Bells Oficis established, Barcelona
Niebla, Unamuno
Greguerías, R. Gómez de la Serna
Meditaciones del Quijote, J. Ortega y Gasset
Platero y yo, J. R. Jiménez
La Esfera (Madrid, 1914–31), periodical
J. M. Sucre visited Madrid
Barradas moved to Barcelona
1915 Vell i Nou (Barcelona, 1915–21), periodical
Themis (Vilanova i la Geltrú, 1915–16), periodical
La Revista (Barcelona, 1915–36), periodical
España (Madrid, 1915–24), periodical
Los Quijotes (Madrid, 1915–18?), periodical
Iberia (Barcelona, 1915–18), periodical
Integral Painters art exhibition, Madrid