José Fernández Montesinos facts for kids
José Fernández-Montesinos Lustau (born in Granada, Spain, on December 5, 1897 – died in Berkeley, USA, on June 8, 1972) was a Spanish historian and a literary critic. He was part of a famous group of Spanish writers and artists known as the Generación del 27. He once described his group as "my generation, which faced many difficulties and was spread out."
Early Life and Studies
José Montesinos finished his studies in Philosophy and Literature at Granada University in 1916. From 1917 to 1920, he worked at the Centro de Estudios Históricos. This was a special center for historical studies in Spain. He was an assistant to Américo Castro, a professor who taught about the history of the Spanish language.
Professor Castro encouraged Montesinos to study the works of Lope de Vega, a very famous Spanish writer. Montesinos began studying Lope de Vega's writings in 1920. His deep research led to his important book, Estudios sobre Lope de Vega, which was first published in Mexico in 1951.
His Work as a Scholar
Montesinos's work can be split into two main periods. The first period was from 1920 to 1936. During this time, he focused on topics that interested his professor, Américo Castro, and the Centro de Estudios Históricos. He studied writers like Lope de Vega and the ideas of Renaissance humanism from thinkers like Erasmus. He also worked on lexicography, which is the study of words and dictionaries. He was interested in all Spanish literature, from old writers like Garcilaso to his own friends in the Generation of 27.
His second period of work began around 1940. Even though he kept studying writers from the 16th and 17th centuries, he started paying special attention to Spanish novels from the 19th century. This included the works of important authors like Benito Pérez Galdós.
Challenges During the Civil War
The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) brought great sadness to Montesinos and his family. While he was in Madrid, he received terrible news from his hometown, Granada. His brother, who was the mayor of the city, and his relative, the famous poet Federico García Lorca, both lost their lives during the war.
See also
In Spanish: José Fernández Montesinos para niños
