Ricardo Baroja facts for kids
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Ricardo Baroja y Nessi (born January 12, 1871 – died December 19, 1953) was a talented Spanish artist. He was a painter, a writer, and an engraver. An engraver is someone who creates pictures by cutting designs into metal plates or wood. Many people thought he was as good as the famous artist Francisco Goya when it came to engraving.
Ricardo came from a very artistic family. His brother was the well-known novelist Pío Baroja. His sister, Carmen Baroja, was also a writer and studied different cultures. Carmen's children, Julio Caro Baroja (who studied people and cultures) and Pío Caro Baroja (a director and filmmaker), were also famous.
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Ricardo Baroja's Early Life and Art Journey
Ricardo's father, Serafin Baroja, was a mining engineer. Because of his father's job, Ricardo was born in a mining town called Minas de Río Tinto in Spain. This town was very old, with mines used since ancient times. Soon after Ricardo was born, the mines were sold, and his family moved back to San Sebastián.
His family moved around a lot when he was young. They lived in Madrid, Pamplona, and Bilbao. When Ricardo was fifteen, he tried to follow in his father's footsteps. He went to engineering school in Madrid. However, he became ill with tuberculosis, a serious lung disease. His parents quickly took him out of school so he could get better.
After recovering, Ricardo decided to follow his passion for art. He studied how museums work and also took painting classes. In 1890, he traveled to art cities like Málaga and València. He met other artists and found inspiration. In Valencia, he became lifelong friends with the painter Julio Peris Brell.
In 1894, Ricardo moved to Madrid to help his aunt run her bakery. His younger brother, Pío, also came to help. But the brothers were more interested in their art. Ricardo painted and drew pictures for the books Pío was writing. It was during this time, in 1896, that Ricardo learned about etching and engraving from a science book.
When his aunt passed away, the brothers sold the bakery. Ricardo then worked in different archives and libraries for a short time. He found this work boring because he loved art and freedom. So, he decided to become a full-time artist.
Becoming a Famous Artist in the Early 1900s
Ricardo Baroja was part of a group called the "Generation of '98". This group included writers, thinkers, and artists who felt sad about Spain losing its power and direction. They often met in Madrid to talk about Spain's problems and how to make things better. Ricardo later wrote a book about these times called Gente del 98 (People of the Generation of '98).
In these early days, it was hard to make enough money from art and writing. Ricardo even went on an adventure with his friend, Ramón del Valle-Inclán. They went searching for hidden treasure in old mercury mines!
In 1901, Ricardo helped start an art magazine called Arte Joven (Young Art) with Pablo Picasso. He used the name "Juan Gualberto Nessi" for his work. Later, in 1903, he and his brother Pío worked as war reporters in Morocco.
Ricardo started making etchings in 1900. He showed his work in many important art exhibitions. He won a second-place medal in 1906 and a first-place medal in 1908 for his amazing etchings.
In 1910, Ricardo helped create the Society of Spanish Engravers. This group published articles about engraving techniques. In 1917, he published his first novel, Aventuras del submarino aleman U.... He also helped his brother-in-law, Rafael Caro Raggio, with his new publishing company. In 1920, Ricardo published his second novel, Fernanda.
Ricardo was not afraid to share his opinions. In 1925, he gave a famous speech where he criticized art critics. This made some critics upset, and they stopped supporting his work.
Ricardo Baroja's Work in Theatre and Film
Ricardo also wrote plays. His first play, El Cometa (The Comet), was performed in Bilbao in 1915. In 1919, when he was 48, he married Carmen Monné. She was also an artist and came from an American family with French roots.
In 1926, Ricardo and Carmen started their own amateur theatre group called El Mirlo Blanco (The White Blackbird) at their home in Madrid. Many famous writers and thinkers supported them. However, the government at the time closed their group in 1927, which led to protests.
In 1928, Ricardo became a professor at the Escuela Nacional de Artes Gráficas. He started engraving again, which he had stopped after his father passed away. During this time, he often met with other artists and writers at social gatherings in cafes.
Ricardo even acted in silent films! He appeared in Al Hollywood Madrileño (1927) and the very modern film El Sexto sentido (The Sixth Sense) in 1929. El Sexto sentido was ahead of its time and is now considered a classic art film.
In 1931, Ricardo had a car accident near Madrid and lost his right eye. This meant he could no longer paint or engrave. So, he focused on writing instead. In 1935, he won the National Prize for Literature for his novel La Nao Capitana. This book was later made into a film in 1947.
The Spanish Civil War and Later Years
The Spanish Civil War began suddenly, and Ricardo and Carmen's home was destroyed in a bombing. They lost all of Ricardo's writings. They went to stay at Itzea, his brother Pío's house in Vera de Bidasoa. Pío had gone to France, but Ricardo's family stayed at Itzea during the war. They were cut off from friends and family.
During the war, Ricardo painted 70 pictures on wooden tables at Itzea. These paintings showed scenes from the war. They are a very important artistic record of the conflict.
After the war, in 1940, Ricardo held art shows in San Sebastián, Bilbao, and Madrid. He even started composing music. In 1949, he helped start the Art Association of Guipúzcoa and held two more art shows. At his last exhibition in San Sebastián in 1952, all his paintings were sold. He was 81 years old and almost blind.
Ricardo Baroja passed away on December 19, 1953, in Vera de Bidosoa due to health issues. In 1959, his wife Carmen organized an exhibition to honor his work. In 1995, the town where he was born, Minas de Río Tinto, named a street Avenida Ricardo Baroja to remember him.
Ricardo Baroja's Books
- Aventuras del submarino aleman U... (1917; Adventures of the German submarine U...)
- Fernanda (1920)
- El pedigree (1926)
- Los tres retratos (1930)
- La Nao Capitana: Cuento Español del mar antiquo (1935; The Flagship)
- La tribu de halcón: Cuento prehistorico de actualidad y el coleccionista de relámpagos (1940)
- Bienandanzas y fortunas (1941)
- Pasan y se van (1941)
- Clavijo: tres versiones de una vida (1942)
- El Dorado (1942)
- Los dos hermanos piratas (Cuento del mar Mediterraneo) (1945)
- Gente del 98 (1952; People of the Generation of 98)
Films Ricardo Baroja Acted In or Wrote For
- 1927 Al Hollywood Madrileño (In Hollywood Madrid), directed by Nemesio Sobrevila. (Silent film)
- 1928 Zalacaín el aventurero (Zalacaín the Adventurer), directed by Francisco Camacho. (Silent film, now lost)
- 1929 El sexto sentido (The Sixth Sense), directed by Nemesio Sobrevila. (Silent film)
- 1931 La incorregible (Manslaughter), directed by Leo Mitller. (Sound film)
- 1947 La Nao Capitana (The Flagship), directed by Florián Rey. (Adapted from his novel)
Images for kids
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Ricardo Baroja in San Sebastián in 1938.
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Baroja's house in Vera de Bidasoa
See also
In Spanish: Ricardo Baroja para niños
