PAINTER & AUTHOR (1902 - 2000)
Rafael Alberti was born in Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz in 1902.
Prior to his being known for his writing, he was a highly competent
painter. In 1925, however, Alberti received the necessary motivation
to concentrate on his writing when he gained the National Literature
Prize in Spain for his acclaimed work, "Marinero en Tierro".
In 1932, he joined the Communist Party and was forced into exile. When the
war ended and after the death of Franco, Alberti returned to Spain.
The writer's work incorporated the new avant-garde school of literature,
which is particularly evident in "Cal y Canto"
which was written in 1927. "Sobre los Angeles"
written just a year later, is generally considered to be Alberti´s
most significant work, recounting the optimism of youth in a chaotic
and depressing world and is a vivid reflection of Alberti´s own
state of mind at the time.
In 1931 his commitment to social problems really took hold as
evidenced by the following quote: "before, my poetry was only
accessible to a few but this is no longer the case. What urges me
to write today is the same motivation that moves workmen and workers
in the field, I am driven by reasons of revolution."
Rafael Alberti died in 2000 aged 98 years of age.
