Ignacio de Luzán y Claramunt
Ignacio de Luzán y Claramunt, born on March 28, 1702, in Zaragoza, Spain, was a notable Spanish neoclassical poet, literary critic, and academic. Coming from a noble family, he experienced significant personal loss early in life, which shaped his education and career. Luzán was well-educated, becoming fluent in six languages and earning a law degree from the University of Catania. His literary contributions began in the 1720s, with his most famous work, "La poética," published in 1737, where he analyzed poetry and emphasized its moral purpose. Throughout his life, he held various prestigious positions, including roles in the Spanish Royal Academy and the Spanish embassy in Paris. Despite some criticism of his rigid views, his writings were influential in promoting neoclassicism in 18th-century literature. Luzán's legacy continues as modern scholars recognize his role in shaping literary discourse during his time, and his works remain relevant through posthumous editions. He passed away on May 19, 1754, in Madrid.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Ignacio de Luzán y Claramunt
Writer
- Born: March 28, 1702
- Birthplace: Zaragoza, Spain
- Died: May 19, 1754
- Place of death: Madrid, Spain
Biography
Ignacio de Luzán Claramunt de Suelves y Gurrea was born on March 28, 1702, at Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, the youngest child born to Antonio de Luzán y Guaro, governor of Aragon, and Leonor Pérez Claramunt de Suelves y Gurrea. His affluent parents were members of the Spanish nobility, owning an estate where Luzán spent his early childhood until his family moved to Barcelona because of his father’s duties during the Spanish War of Succession.
After his parents’ death, the orphaned Luzán resided with his frail paternal grandmother and then with relatives who oversaw his education. When he was thirteen, Luzán accompanied his father’s brother, priest Josef de Luzán, traveling to Italian cities, including Naples, Genoa, and Milan, where instructors, primarily Jesuits, tutored him. Luzán particularly enjoyed studying literature, philosophy, and languages. He became fluent in six languages in addition to his native Spanish. His linguistic skills enhanced his comprehension of literature and art.
When his uncle traveled to Palermo to work as an inquisitor, Luzán pursued legal studies, enrolling in the University of Catania and completing a doctor of laws degree in 1727. After his uncle died in 1729, Luzán moved to the Naples home of his older brother, Count Luzán. By 1733, Luzán returned to his birthplace to manage his brother’s property. He relied on patrons’ financial help throughout much of his life. In or about 1737, Luzán married Doña Mariá Francisca Mincholet, with whom he had one daughter and two sons.
Luzán was designated an honorary member of the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language in 1741, and he also was invited to join the Spanish Royal Academy of History. In 1747, Luzán accepted a position in Paris, France, where he worked in the Spanish embassy as an assistant to the ambassador. He returned to Spain in 1750, and he was superintendent of the Spanish mint and treasurer of the Royal Library in Madrid. In 1752, the Barcelona Academy of Belles-Lettres selected Luzán for honorary membership, and he helped establish Fernando VI’s Academy of San Fernando.
Luzán began writing in the 1720’s, advocating neoclassicism in literature. In 1737, he published his best-known work, La poética: O, Reglas de la poesía en general, y de sus principales especies, in which he analyzed poetry and discussed his opinions of poetry’s purpose. He was especially interested in epic and dramatic poems. Luzán believed poets should convey messages, particularly the need for moral behavior, to their readers. Luzán also wrote poems and a play and translated the classics; he penned a literary memoir of Paris three years before his death on May 19, 1754, in Madrid.
Some contemporary critics denounced La poética, maintaining that Luzán’s ideas were rigid. However, many readers embraced his writing, appreciating his promotion of moral themes in literature. His works enabled neoclassicism to be accepted and encouraged during the eighteenth century, and modern scholars have emphasized Luzán’s significance in this literary movement. Publishers have issued several posthumous reprints of Luzán’s La poética, including an edition distributed in the mid-twentieth century.