José Luis Hidalgo
José Luis Hidalgo was a notable Spanish poet born on October 10, 1919, in Torres, Torrelavega, near Santander, Spain. He is recognized for his unique blend of emotional depth and a natural speaking voice within his poetry. The profound sadness expressed in his work is often linked to the early loss of his mother when he was just nine years old. Hidalgo's literary journey began with a philosophical dialogue published in 1934, followed by his first poem in 1935. Besides poetry, he had a passion for visual arts, with his first exhibition taking place in 1936.
His experiences during the Spanish Civil War significantly shaped his artistic development, and he later formalized his art education in Valencia. Hidalgo became part of a collective known as La Quinta del 42, contributing to literary magazines like Corcel and Proel. His critical acclaim peaked with the publication of his third poetry collection, "Los muertos," in 1947, shortly before his untimely death from tuberculosis at the age of 27. After his passing, his works were compiled and published, showcasing his lasting impact on Spanish literature.
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José Luis Hidalgo
Poet
- Born: October 10, 1919
- Birthplace: Torres, Torrelavega, near Santander, Spain
- Died: February 3, 1947
- Place of death: Madrid, Spain
Biography
Spanish poet José Luis Hidalgo is known today for his commitment to fusing both passion and a natural speaking voice into his poetry. He was born on October 10, 1919, in Torres, Torrelavega, near Santander, Spain, the son of Josefa Iglesias González and César Hidalgo Ceballos. Both the intense sadness of his poetry and his preoccupation with death and the dead may have roots in the death of his mother in 1929, when Hidalgo was nine years old. His first piece of published writing was not poetry, but a philosophical dialogue which appeared in El Impulsor, a weekly newspaper, on August 12, 1934. In 1935, Hidalgo published some aphoristic writing in the same newspaper, including his first published poem.
Besides writing and reading, Hidalgo was greatly interested in drawing and painting; his first artistic exhibition was held on January 12, 1936, at the Torrelavega Biblioteca Popular. As a poster designer, he contributed to the Olimpíada Popular (people’s Olympic games) of Barcelona in 1936, and he became an art instructor in 1937 at the Instituto de Enseñanza Media. However, Hidalgo did not formally study art until after his end of service in the Spanish Civil War (1942); since the war’s end found him in Valencia, he studied there, at the Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Carlos.
Throughout his artistic career, Hidalgo had also been working on poetry, which eventually made its way into his published books. His work was often first published in the literary magazines Corcel and Proel; in fact, the group of poets with which Hidalgo is often associated has been labeled the “proelistas” because of their frequent contributions to that journal. However, this group of poets is more often known as La Quinta del 42 (The Draftees of 1942, in the phrase of poet José Hierro), because they became associated with each other in the summer of 1942 in Valencia. Hidalgo also met artist Jacinta Gil in 1943; they remained close throughout his life, and many of his love poems were inspired by her. In 1944 and 1945, Hidalgo published his first and second collections of poetry, Raíz and Los animales.
However, it was his third collection, Los muertos (1947), that made his critical reputation. His other works were organized and brought out by friends after Hidalgo’s death; he had suffered for a year from a form of tuberculosis, and he died on February 3, 1947, almost simultaneously with the publication of Los muertos. A collection of Hidalgo’s complete works came out in 1976.