''Quevedo'' or the Monument to Quevedo is an instance of public art in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

, Spain. A work by

Agustín Querol Agustín is a Spanish given name and sometimes a surname. It is related to Augustín. People with the name include: Given name * Agustín (footballer), Spanish footballer * Agustín Calleri (born 1976), Argentine tennis player * Agustín Cár ...

, it is dedicated to Francisco de Quevedo, distinguished writer of the Baroque era.

History and description

A work by

, it was unveiled at its original location in the on 5 June 1902 (the ceremony had been delayed several times by bad weather) as part of a series of inaugurations of outdoor sculptures in Madrid on the occasion of the celebrations for the coming of age of King Alfonso XIII, featuring several notable figures such as—aside from Quevedo—

Agustín Argüelles Agustín Argüelles (18 August 1776 in Ribadesella, Asturias – 26 March 1844 in Madrid) was a Spanish liberal politician. He served as the 81st and 94th president of the Congress of Deputies. Biography He studied Law at the University of Oviedo ...

Lope de Vega Félix Lope de Vega y Carpio ( , ; 25 November 156227 August 1635) was a Spanish playwright, poet, and novelist. He was one of the key figures in the Spanish Golden Age of Baroque literature. His reputation in the world of Spanish literature ...

Juan Bravo Murillo Juan Bravo Murillo (24 June 1803 – 11 February 1873) was a Spanish politician, jurist and economist. He was president of the council of ministers of Spain (equivalent to the present-day position of prime minister / president of the govern ...

, and Goya. The standing Carrara marble statue representing Quevedo is featured on the top of the monument. He is wearing his staple Pince-nez (called ''quevedos'' in Spanish after him) and the

cross of Saint James The Cross of Saint James, also known as the Santiago cross, ''cruz espada,'' or Saint James' Cross, is a heraldic badge that is cruciform in design. The cross, shaped as a cross fitchy, combines with either a cross fleury or a cross moline. Its ...

on his chest. Four allegorical sculptures representing ''Satyre'', ''Poetry'', ''Prose'' and ''History'' embrace the limestone plinth.; The Novelda limestone from the pedestal eroded by the 1960s and the pedestal was replaced by a replica of (less porous) stone from Atarce sculpted by . The monument was moved to its current location in the in the 1960s. A fountain made of granite from Badajoz was installed on the base of the monument in 1999.

In popular culture

"A don Francisco de Quevedo, en piedra"—a poem authored by

José Ángel Valente José Ángel Valente Docasar (25 April 1929, Ourense, Galicia, Spain — 18 July 2000, Geneva, Switzerland) was a Spanish poet of the Generation of '50, an essayist, and a translator, who wrote in Spanish and Galician. He studied at the Faculty ...

part of ''Poemas a Lázaro''—is dedicated to the statue.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * {{authority control Monuments and memorials in Madrid Outdoor sculptures in Madrid Sculptures of men in Spain Quevedo Buildings and structures in Trafalgar neighborhood, Madrid 1900 sculptures Statues of writers Stone sculptures in Spain