Literary ''costumbrismo'' is a minor genre of Spanish literature most popular in the 19th century. It is the literary counterpart to the

artistic movement An art movement is a tendency or style in art with a specific art philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists during a specific period of time, (usually a few months, years or decades) or, at least, with the heyday of the movement defined ...

known as ''

costumbrismo ''Costumbrismo'' (in Catalan: ''costumisme''; sometimes anglicized as costumbrism, with the adjectival form costumbrist) is the literary or pictorial interpretation of local everyday life, mannerisms, and customs, primarily in the Hispanic sce ...

'', which depicted social customs often without analysis or critique. Its style is similar to

literary realism Literary realism is a movement and genre of literature that attempts to represent mundane and ordinary subject-matter in a faithful and straightforward way, avoiding grandiose or exotic subject-matter, exaggerated portrayals, and speculative ele ...

. In its most popular and least intellectual form, it describes the commonplace and ordinary aspects of daily life. Appearing in

prose Prose is language that follows the natural flow or rhythm of speech, ordinary grammatical structures, or, in writing, typical conventions and formatting. Thus, prose ranges from informal speaking to formal academic writing. Prose differs most n ...

and hardly ever in verse, it reached its peak with the

novel of manners The novel of manners is a work of fiction that re-creates a social world, conveying with detailed observation the complex of customs, values, and mores of a Social stratification, stratified society. The behavioural conventions (manners) of the s ...

and in the minor genre called custom picture in

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...

. In

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communi ...

, it manifested in the

comedy of manners In English literature, the term comedy of manners (also anti-sentimental comedy) describes a genre of realistic, satirical comedy that questions and comments upon the manners and social conventions of a greatly sophisticated, artificial society. ...

and

sainete A sainete (farce or titbit) was a popular Spanish comic opera piece, a one-act dramatic vignette, with music. It was often placed at the end of entertainments, or between other types of performance. It was vernacular in style, and used scenes of lo ...

,Theatrical gender that includes funny and popular topics a continuation of the earlier

entremés In 16th- and 17th-century Spanish drama, an entremés (plural entremeses) was a short, comedy, comic theatrical performance of one act (drama), act, usually played during the interlude of a performance of a long dramatic work. The ''entremés'' form ...

.Theatrical gender that includes funny and popular topics that can be written in prose or in verse. In England,

Richard Steele Sir Richard Steele ( – 1 September 1729) was an Anglo-Irish writer, playwright and politician best known as the co-founder of the magazine ''The Spectator (1711), The Spectator'' alongside his close friend Joseph Addison. Early life Steel ...

(1672–1729), who published ''The Tatler'', and

Joseph Addison Joseph Addison (1 May 1672 – 17 May 1719) was an English essayist, poet, playwright, and politician. He was the eldest son of Lancelot Addison. His name is usually remembered alongside that of his long-standing friend Richard Steele, with w ...

(1672–1719), the co-founder of

The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British political and cultural news magazine. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving magazine in the world. ''The Spectator'' is politically conservative, and its principal subject a ...

magazine, were costumbrist writers and both of them have been considered the inventors of what they themselves called ''Essay or Sketch of manners''. While costumbrist pieces are meant as popular entertainment, there can often be an undercurrent of criticism or satire beneath the surface. In the 20th century, the

Quintero brothers Serafín Álvarez Quintero (March 26, 1871 – April 12, 1938) and Joaquín Álvarez Quintero (January 20, 1873 – June 14, 1944) were Spanish dramatists. Biography Quintero brothers, photograph by Kaulak Born in Utrera, Seville Province in ...

are noted for their Andalusian costumbrist comedies and

Carlos Arniches Carlos Arniches Barreda (11 October 1866 – 16 April 1943)"Arniches (y Barrera), Carlos" in '' The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 577. was a Spanish playwright, born in A ...

for his pieces from Madrid. The costumbrist element appears as fundamental in the expressionist painter and writer José Gutiérez Solana, one of the few costumbrist writers who doesn't extol the popular aspects but who shows himself brutally critical in, for example, ''La España negra'' (The Black Spain,1920)

History and origins

Categorized as a minor

genre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...

in the Spanish literature and the English literature of the 19th century, there are several precedents −3 along the history of the literature- that can be regarded in the use of traditional topics. Its relevance in the context of the 19th century had aimed to be excused as a reaction of the

middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. C ...

, after the romantic revolution (or even during that time), predicting the possible loss of the traditions and folklore “smashed by the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

". Nevertheless, it was the progress achieved by this revolution the one which would catapult the ''costumbrismo'', as one of his most known representative authors clearly states:Larra establishes the origin of the modern literature of customs in England since

Addison Addison may refer to: Places Canada * Addison, Ontario, a community United States * Addison, Alabama, a town * Addison, Illinois, a village * Addison, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Addison, Maine, a town * Addison, Michigan, a villag ...

’s ''The Spectator''. * Another view of the ''costumbrismo'' was the new possibility of travelling, a romantic passion that created the literary descriptive model of the ''

libros de viajes Libros is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population informat ...

'' (literally, ''books of traveling''), usually more focused on the

pictures An image or picture is a visual representation. An image can be two-dimensional, such as a drawing, painting, or photograph, or three-dimensional, such as a carving or sculpture. Images may be displayed through other media, including a project ...

and hackneyed things and simple impressions or emotions, than critical analysis or

ethnographic Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...

study

Custom pictures

The custom picture (also called the articles of customs) was a short sketch-like composition in which the customs, habits, landscapes, amusements and even animals representative of a particular society are relayed, sometimes with the purpose of entertaining (pleasant pictures) and sometimes clearly intended to criticize the society and call for moral reformation. The precedent of

Juan de Zabaleta ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. The name is of Hebrew origin and has the meaning "God has been gracious." It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking countries around the world and in the Philippi ...

's poetry in the 17th century, led to the 19th century "custom picture" ''Transido de queja'' of Mariano Jose de Larras, the most calmed part of Ramon Mesonero Romanos and the

Serafín Estébanez Calderón Serafín Estébanez Calderón (27 December 1799 – 5 February 1867) was a Spanish writer, best known by the pseudonym of El Solitario. He was born in Málaga. His first literary effort was ''El listón verde'', a poem signed "Safinio" and ...

's lyric part. Then, some big collective compilations were written based on these pieces that described types and popular professions, like '' Los Españoles por sí mismos (The Spaniards by themselves'' (1843–1844), a collection that contains ninety eight articles of fifty-one authors. Its success gave birth to similar collections: * ''El álbum del bello sexo o las mujeres pintadas por sí mismas (The album of the lovely sex or the women painted by themselves)'' (1843) * ''Los cubanos pintados por sí mismos (The Cuban painted by themselves)'' (1852) * ''Los mexicanos pintados por sí mismos (The Mexicans painted by themselves)'' (1854) * ''Los valencianos pintados por sí mismos (The Valencian painted by themselves)'' (1859) * '' Las españolas pintadas por los españoles'' ''(The Spanish women painted by the Spanish men)'' (1871–1872) * ''Las mujeres españolas, portuguesas y americanas'' ''(The Spanish women, Portuguese women and American women)'' (1872, 1873, 1876) * ''Los españoles de hogaño'' ''(This year’s Spaniards)'' (1872) * ''El álbum de Galicia. Tipos, costumbres y leyendas (The album of Galicia. Types, customs and legends)'' (1897).

The novel of ''Costumbrismo''

Some studies consider the following novels to be examples of Spanish ''Costumbrismo'' during the 19th century: ''Sotileza'' (Subtlety), ''Peñas arriba'' (Cheer up people) of Jose Maria de Pereda, ''La gaviota'' (Seagull) of

Fernán Caballero Fernán Caballero (24 December 1796 – 7 April 1877) was the pseudonym of Spanish novelist Cecilia Francisca Josefa Böhl de Faber y Ruiz de Larrea. She was daughter of German writer Johann Nikolaus Böhl von Faber and Spanish writer Frasqui ...

, ''Pepita Jiménez'' (Pepita Jiménez) of

Juan Valera Juan Valera may refer to: * Juan Valera y Alcalá-Galiano (1824–1905), Spanish author, diplomat and politician * Juan Valera (footballer) (born 1984), Spanish footballer {{hndis, Valera, Juan ...

, ''La hermana San Sulpicio'' (Sister San Sulpicio) of Armando Palacio Valdés, and certain passages in Benito Perez Galdós's work. Yet in the 20th century, we find examples like ''La casa de la Troya'' or ''Currito de la Cruz'' (The house of Troy) of Alejandro Pérez Lugín and the works of

Pedro de Répide Pedro de Répide Gallegos (8 February 1882 – 16 February 1948) was a Spanish writer and journalist based in Madrid. Biography Pedro de Répide Gallegos studied law, philosophy and liberal arts at the Complutense University of Madrid, and by t ...

, among others.

The costumbrist comedy

The comedy of manners appeared in Spain in the 19th century in hand of Romantic authors like

Manuel Eduardo de Gorostiza Manuel María del Pilar Eduardo de Gorostiza y Cepeda (13 October 1789 – 23 October 1851) was a Mexican writer, dramatist and diplomat. He was the son of Pedro Fernández de Gorostiza, governor of the port of Veracruz, and the poet Rosario Cep ...

(''Contigo, pan y cebolla'') (With you, bread and onion) and

Manuel Bretón de los Herreros Manuel Bretón de los Herreros (19 December 17968 November 1873) was a Spanish dramatist. Biography He was born in Quel (Logroño), and was educated at Madrid. Enlisting on 24 May 1812, he served against the French in Valencia and Catalonia, a ...

with important works such as ''A la vejez, viruelas'' (To an old age, smallpoxes'')'' (1824), ''A Madrid me vuelvo'' ( Going back to Madrid) (1828), ''El pelo de la dehesa'' (Pasture's hair) (1837) or ''Muérete ¡y verás!'' (''Go Ahead and Die, You'll See!'') (1840). The formula prospered and at the beginning of the 20th century it became popular in the work of the brothers Serafín and Joaquín Álvarez Quintero and in the sainetes of

(''Del Madrid Castizo'') (From pure's Madrid).

''Costumbrismo'' in English literature

In England,

(1672–1729), who published his costumbrist magazine ''The Tatler'', and

(1672–1719), the co-founder of

magazine, were costumbrist writers and both of them have been considered the inventors of what they themselves called ''Essay or Sketch of manners''.

''Costumbrismo'' in French literature

The abbé

Étienne de Jouy Étienne, a French analog of Stephen or Steven, is a masculine given name. An archaic variant of the name, prevalent up to the mid-17th century, is Estienne. Étienne, Etienne, Ettiene or Ettienne may refer to: People Artists and entertainers * ...

(1764–1846), whose work that notably influenced in the Spanish costumbrist

Mariano José de Larra Mariano José de Larra y Sánchez de Castro (24 March 1809 – 13 February 1837) was a Spanish romantic writer and journalist best known for his numerous essays and his infamous suicide. His works were often satirical and critical of the 19th- ...

appeared in the ''Gazette de France'' between 1811 and 1817, is a representative of the costumbrist genre in the French literature, after the translations of

Pierre de Marivaux Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux (; ; 4 February 1688 – 12 February 1763), commonly referred to as Marivaux, was a French playwright and novelist. Marivaux is considered one of the most important French playwrights of the 18th century, w ...

(1688–1763) and the essays of

Louis Sébastien Mercier Louis may refer to: People * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer Other uses * Louis (coin), a French coin * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also * ...

(1740–1814). Paul-Louis Courier (1772–1825) is less known among the Spaniards but also as important as Jouy.

''Costumbrismo'' in Spanish literature

One of the features of the Spanish art, especially in its literature, is its tendency towards

Realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *American Realism *Classical Realism *Liter ...

. This tendency was already evident in the first written text of the Spanish narrative literature that is preserved, ''

Cantar de Mio Cid ''El Cantar de mio Cid'', or ''El Poema de mio Cid'' ("The Song of My Cid"; "The Poem of My Cid"), is an anonymous '' cantar de gesta'' and the oldest preserved Castilian epic poem. Based on a true story, it tells of the deeds of the Castilian h ...

(The Poem of the Cid)'', and that is extended through the popular element that impregnates the '' Libro de Buen Amor (The Book of Good Love)'', ''

La Celestina ''The Tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea'' (), known in Spain as ''La Celestina'', is a work entirely in dialogue published in 1499. Sometimes called in English ''The Spanish Bawd'', it is attributed to Fernando de Rojas, a descendant of conv ...

(Tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea)'', ''

Lazarillo de Tormes ''The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes and of His Fortunes and Adversities'' ( ) is a Spanish novella, published anonymously because of its anticlerical content. It was published simultaneously in three cities in 1554: Alcalá de Henares, Burgos a ...

(The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes and of His Fortunes and Adversities)'' or ''

Don Quijote Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *Don (river), a river in European Russia * Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name * Don, Benin, a town in Benin * Don, Dang, a village and hill station in Dang district, G ...

(Don Quixote)'' itself. ''Costumbrismo'', as one of the elements that constitute this complicated feature, began to develop in Spain especially in the 17th century because of the popularizing guidelines that come since the

Council of Trent The Council of Trent (), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation at the time, it has been described as the "most ...

and the

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...

and because of the cultural borderlines closing ordered by the king

Philip II of Spain Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...

. Thus, popular people and environments that are not presumptuous, and that enable people to identify themselves with a kind of a closer religiosity, are taken as models by painters like

Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (also Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi da Caravaggio; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), known mononymously as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the fina ...

. We can see popular types in paintings of

Diego Velázquez Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptised 6 June 15996 August 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the Noble court, court of King Philip IV of Spain, Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He i ...

and

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo Bartolomé Esteban Murillo ( , ; late December 1617, baptized January 1, 1618April 3, 1682) was a Spanish Baroque painter. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contempor ...

, and Costumbrism becomes one of the elements that make up satiric literary genres like the

picaresque novel The picaresque novel ( Spanish: ''picaresca'', from ''pícaro'', for ' rogue' or 'rascal') is a genre of prose fiction. It depicts the adventures of a roguish but appealing hero, usually of low social class, who lives by his wits in a corrup ...

and comic literary genres like the

. Generally, it is considered that

, , Antonio Liñán y Verdugo and Bautista Ramiro de Navarra are the first costumbrist baroque writers who specialized in this kind of topics. In the 18th century, the entremés is transformed into a

with such important authors as

Ramón de la Cruz Ramón de la Cruz (28 March 1731 – 5 March 1794) was a Spanish neoclassical dramatist. Born in Madrid, he was a clerk in the ministry of finance. He is the author of nearly 400 ''sainete A sainete (farce or titbit) was a popular Spanish com ...

, who specialized in a kind of '' Madrileñismo'' (from Madrid), and Juan Ignacio González del Castillo, who reproduces types and customs from Cadiz. In the 1700s some painters begin to pay attention to the popular customs and types through fads like '' Majismo'' (Kindness).

Francisco Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish Romanticism, romantic painter and Printmaking, printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Hi ...

in his ''Cartones para tapices'',Collection of paintings painted by Francisco de Goya for the Real Fábrica de Tapices de Santa Bárbara (Royal Tapestry Factory) between 1775 and 1792. (Cardboards for tapestries) or in his prints about bullfighting, and the Béquer family, with their popular ''Sevillanas'' (from Seville) scenes, arrive at create quite a school of painting consecrated to the Andalucian customs, and formed by

José Domínguez Bécquer José María Domínguez Insausti, better known as José Domínguez Bécquer (22 January 1805, Seville - 28 January 1841, Seville) was a Spanish painter in the Costumbrismo style. He was the father of the famous poet, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, and ...

(1805–1841), father of the famous poet

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer Gustavo Adolfo Claudio Domínguez Bastida (17 February 1836 – 22 December 1870), better known as Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer (), was a Spanish Spanish Romance literature, Romantic poet and writer (mostly short stories), also a playwright, columni ...

(1836–1870) and of the painter

Valeriano Bécquer Valeriano Domínguez Bécquer (15 December 1833 – 23 September 1870) was a Spanish painter and graphic artist, who often worked in the costumbrismo style.Joaquín Domínguez Bécquer Joaquín Domínguez Bécquer (25 September 1817, Seville 26 July 1879, Seville) was a Spanish Costumbrista painter. Biography His family was originally from the Spanish Netherlands, and their name was "Becker". He studied in his hometown at t ...

(1817–1879), was also a costumbrist painter. Furthermore, in the cultural environments '' Casticismo'' (literally ''purity''), a tendency to fix a natural, popular and national pattern for the literary style based on the native tradition, was set against the

Cosmopolitanism Cosmopolitanism is the idea that all human beings are members of a single community. Its adherents are known as cosmopolitan or cosmopolite. Cosmopolitanism is both prescriptive and aspirational, believing humans can and should be " world citizen ...

and the

frenchification Francization (in American English, Canadian English, and Oxford English) or Francisation (in other British English), also known as Frenchification, is the expansion of French language use—either through willful adoption or coercion—by more a ...

of the

Enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...

. In the 19th century, that element acquires independence through the subjective element that the

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

covers, what makes that the interest in the colectiv or ''volksgeist'' (national or popular character) identity be renewed through the

Nationalism Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, I ...

and the Regionalism, being expressed on purpose in genres like the article or the custom picture, and cultivated in the press and then gathered in individual or collective collections by authors like Sebastián Miñano y Bedoya,

Ramón de Mesonero Romanos Ramón de Mesonero Romanos (19 July 1803 – 30 April 1882) was a Spanish prose writer who was born in Madrid. Biography At an early age, he became interested in the history and topography of his native city. His ''Guía de Madrid'' (1831) was ...

and

, among many others, and the

, but also in the theater through the chico genre (literally, ''little genre''), and it appears as a non depreciable element in the novels of the

(

José María de Pereda José María de Pereda y Sánchez de Porrúa (born 6 February 1833, Polanco, Cantabria – died 1 March 1906, Polanco) was a Spanish novelist, and a Member of the Royal Spanish Academy. Life Pereda was educated at the Institute Cántabro of Sa ...

Benito Pérez Galdós Benito María de los Dolores Pérez Galdós (; 10 May 1843 – 4 January 1920) was a Spanish Spanish Realist literature, realist novelist. He was a leading literary figure in 19th-century Spain, and some scholars consider him second only to Mi ...

Emilia Pardo Bazán Emilia Pardo Bazán y de la Rúa-Figueroa, Countess of Pardo Bazán (; 16 September 185112 May 1921) was a Spanish novelist, journalist, literary critic, poet, playwright, translator, editor and professor. Her naturalism (literature), naturalis ...

and

.) In the Naturalism

Vicente Blasco Ibáñez Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (, 29 January 1867 – 28 January 1928) was a journalist, politician, and a bestselling Spanish novelist in various genres whose most widespread and lasting fame in the English-speaking world is from Hollywood films that ...

, who finds an interrelationship in the attractive and dazzling valencian paintings of

Joaquín Sorolla Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (27 February 1863 – 10 August 1923) was a Spanish painter. Sorolla excelled in the painting of portraits, landscapes, and monumental works of social and historical themes. His most typical works are characterized by ...

, is distinguished for his novels of Valencian ambientation. Another literary genre, the '' libro de viajes'' (literally, ''books of travelling''), cultivated by national authors and by foreign authors, is also a son of the curiosity that feels the epoch for everything related to the picturesque customs. ''Costumbrismo'' invades the 19th century ''

zarzuela () is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular songs, as well as dance. The etymology of the name is uncertain, but some propose it may derive from the name o ...

'' and a certain type of the '' teatro por horas'' heir of the ''entremés''. The born science of the

folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...

, which studies in a scientific way the popular traditions, deals in compiling, classifying and studying traditional lyric,

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

, coplas,

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

game A game is a structured type of play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or video games) or art ...

superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic (supernatural), magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly app ...

s and beliefs,

saying A saying is any concise expression that is especially memorable because of its meaning or style. A saying often shows a wisdom or cultural standard, having different meanings than just the words themselves. Sayings are categorized as follows: * ...

handicraft A handicraft is a traditional main sector of craft making and applies to a wide range of creative and design activities that are related to making things with one's hands and skill, including work with textiles, moldable and rigid material ...

gastronomy Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between Human food, food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well ver ...

ceremonies A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin . Religious and civil (secular) ceremoni ...

rite Rite may refer to: Religion * Ritual, an established ceremonious act * Rite (Christianity), sacred rituals in the Christian religion * Ritual family, Christian liturgical traditions; often also called ''liturgical rites'' * Catholic particular ch ...

parties A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

s and vulgar romances, area in which stand out a few experts like

Agustín Durán Agustín Durán (14 October 17891 December 1862), Spanish scholar, was born in Madrid, where his father was the court physician. Durán was sent to the seminary at Vergara, whence he returned learned in the traditions of Spanish romance. In 1 ...

, Antonio Machado Álvarez,

Francisco Rodríguez Marín Francisco Rodríguez Marín (Osuna, January 27, 1855–Madrid, June 9, 1943) was a Spanish poet, paremiologist, and lexicologist. Biography Rodríguez Marín finished his high school in Osuna, and later spent three years at the "Viña de Pago ...

, Eusebio Vasco and many others. In the literature, this interest in the popular literature is spilled across the so-called Neopopularism of the 19th and 20th centuries. In the 19th it was even written serious literature in dialects like

Extremaduran language Extremaduran ( , ) is a group of vernacular Romance dialects, related to the Asturleonese language, spoken in Extremadura and adjoining areas in the province of Salamanca. It is difficult to establish the exact boundary between Extremaduran ...

(

José María Gabriel y Galán José María Gabriel y Galán (28 June 1870, in Frades de la Sierra (Salamanca) - 6 January 1905, in Guijo de Granadilla, Cáceres, España) was a Spanish poet in Castilian and Extremaduran. He was a teacher in Guijuelo (Salamanca) & Pied ...

, Luis chamizo),

Asturian language Asturian (; )Art. 1 de lLey 1/1998, de 23 de marzo, de uso y promoción del bable/asturiano aw 1/93, of March 23, on the Use and Promotion of the Asturian Language/nowiki> is a West Iberian languages, West Iberian Romance languages, Roman ...

or even the Murcian language. In the 20th century stand out

for their Andalusian costumbrist comedies and

for his pieces from Madrid; the costumbrist element appears as fundamental in the expressionist painter and writer José Gutiérez Solana, one of the few costumbrist writers who doesn't extol the popular aspects and who shows himself brutally critic in, for example, ''La España negra'' (The black Spain) (1920), against the obliging paintings by

Julio Romero de Torres Julio Romero de Torres (9 November 1874 – 10 May 1930) was a Spanish painter. His brothers, Rafael and , also became painters. Biography He was the son of Rafael Romero Barros, a painter who served as Director of the Fine Arts Museum o ...

(however, expressionists in essence) or more balanced by

Ignacio Zuloaga Ignacio Zuloaga y Zabaleta (July 26, 1870October 31, 1945) was a Spanish painter, born in Eibar, Guipuzcoa, near the monastery of Loyola. Family He was the son of metalworker and damascening, damascener Plácido Zuloaga and grandson of the orga ...

; nevertheless, since the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, this ''Costumbrismo'' involutes as it is identified with the superficial and uncritical

picturesque Picturesque is an aesthetic ideal introduced into English cultural debate in 1782 by William Gilpin in ''Observations on the River Wye, and Several Parts of South Wales, etc. Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the Summer of the Year ...

ness of the European travellers to Spain from the 19th century and with an Andalusian (from Andalusia) impoverishing reductionism that was good to the economic necessity of promote the

Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

, especially in the cinema, where this type of products became known as '' españoladas''. Nevertheless, some prewar and postwar authors headed by

Ramón Gómez de la Serna Ramón Gómez de la Serna y Puig (July 3, 1888 – January 13, 1963), born in Madrid, was a Spanish writer, dramatist and avant-garde agitator. He strongly influenced surrealist film maker Luis Buñuel. Ramón Gómez de la Serna was especially ...

(''Elucidario de Madrid, El Rastro'') (Explanation of Madrid, The Track) are saved because they follow the 19th century tradition of the '' Sketch of manners''. This group revolves around the so-called '' Madrileñismo'' (from Madrid), like Eusebio Blasco (1844–1903),

(1882–1947),

Emiliano Ramírez Ángel Emiliano is a male given name. Notable people with the name include: A–C * Emiliano Abeyta (1911–1981), Pueblo-American painter * Emiliano Agüero (born 1995), Argentine footballer * Emiliano Aguirre (1925–2021), Spanish paleontologist * Em ...

(1883–1928), Luis Bello or, in the postwar, Federico Carlos Sainz de Robles. As for the ''Andalucism''o (meaning in English ''Andalusian literary expression''), the deep 19th century vein is renewed by writers like

José Nogales José Nogales (October 21, 1860 – December 7, 1908) was a Spanish journalist and writer. Works Novels *Ladybug Lion (1901) *The Patriot (1901) Stories *Mosaic (1891) *In the depths of hell or zurrapas of the century (1896) *Rocío Letters ...

(1860–1908), Salvador Rueda (1857–1933), Arturo Reyes (1864–1913) and others. The ''Costumbrismo'' of the called Generation of ‘98 has more value and shaded dyes, and looks in its trips the real Spain opposite the official Spain:

Miguel de Unamuno Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo (; ; 29 September 1864 – 31 December 1936) was a Spanish essayist, novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher, professor of Greek and Classics, and later rector at the University of Salamanca. His major philosophical ...

writes ''De mi país'' (From my country) (1903),

Pio Baroja Pio or PIO may refer to: Places * Pio Lake, Italy * Pio Island, Solomon Islands * Pio Point, Bird Island, south Atlantic Ocean People * Pio (given name) * Pio (surname) * Pio (footballer, born 1986), Brazilian footballer * Pio (footballer, born 1 ...

his ''Vitrina pintoresca'' (Odd display cabinet (1935), receiving in his Basque (from the Basque Country in Spain) trilogies, customs of that region, as in his

etching Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other type ...

s and literature his brother

Ricardo Baroja Ricardo Baroja y Nessi (12 January 1871 – 19 December 1953) was a Spanish painter, writer and engraver. As an engraving, engraver, he is considered the successor of Francisco Goya. He was the brother of the novelist Pío Baroja and writer/ethno ...

; Azorín appears to the Castilian (from Castile in Spain) and Andalusian scenery (''Los pueblos, Alma española, Madrid. Guía sentimental''...) (The villages, Spanish Souls, Madrid. Sentimental Guide). Hereinafter, only authors like

Camilo José Cela Camilo José Cela y Trulock, 1st Marquess of Iria Flavia (; 11 May 1916 – 17 January 2002) was a Spanish novelist, poet, story writer and essayist associated with the Generation of '36 movement. He was awarded the 1989 Nobel Prize in Liter ...

, seems to have counted with the costumbrista element, who is the creator of a new type of ''Sketch of manners'', the '' esbozo carpetovetónico'', near to the ''

esperpento Esperpento denotes a literary style in Spanish literature first established by Spanish author Ramón María del Valle-Inclán that uses distorted descriptions of reality in order to criticize society. Leading themes include death, the grotesque, an ...

'', and authors like

Francisco Candel Francisco Candel Tortajada (May 31, 1925 in Casas Altas – November 23, 2007 in Barcelona, Spain), usually known as well as Paco Candel, was a Valencian-born writer and journalist who lived most of his life in Barcelona. Biography He was b ...

, Ramón Ayerra or

Francisco Umbral Francisco Alejandro Pérez Martínez (11 May 1932 – 28 August 2007), better known as Francisco Umbral, was a Spanish journalist, novelist, biographer and essayist. Style Although he was born in Madrid, a city that has inspired most of his wo ...

, the last one is the author of a type of anti-burgues ''Costumbrismo'' with a radiant style.

Literary ''Costumbrismo'' in Latin America

The costumbrist novel had a special repercussion in some countries. In

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

or in

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

for example, ''Costumbrismo'' influenced non-costumbrist novels. An example is the sentimental novel '' María'', by

Jorge Isaacs Jorge Isaacs Ferrer (April 1, 1837 – April 17, 1895) was a Colombian writer, politician and soldier. His only novel, '' María'', became one of the most notable works of the Romantic movement in Spanish-language literature. Biography His ...

. Due to him, the article of customs, very popular and with wide dissemination, recreated sketches of manners of pure localism in his types and language, emphasis on the approach of the picturesque, occasionally container of a satire and social criticism with intention of reform, and other times almost photographic reproductions of the reality (sometimes with very raw scenes and rough, even rude, vocabulary.) The American costumbrist work usually abounded in local details, in its desire to reflect reality as faithfully as possible.Emilio Carilla, "El romanticismo en la América hispánica" 323-25

Notes

References

Bibliography

* {{cite book, last=Fernández Montesinos, first=José, authorlink=José Fernández Montesinos, title=Costumbrismo y novela. Ensayo sobre el redescubrimiento de la realidad española, url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006712305, accessdate=4 September 2016, language=, edition=, year=1960, editor=, publisher=Castalia, location=, isbn=, chapter=, series=Estudios sobre la novela española del siglo XIX ;2 , pages= Costumbrismo, literary

Costumbrismo ''Costumbrismo'' (in Catalan: ''costumisme''; sometimes anglicized as costumbrism, with the adjectival form costumbrist) is the literary or pictorial interpretation of local everyday life, mannerisms, and customs, primarily in the Hispanic sce ...