José Echegaray
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José Echegaray y Eizaguirre (19 April 183214 September 1916) was a Spanish civil engineer, mathematician,
statesman A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level. Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States * ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a n ...
, and one of the leading
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
dramatists of the last quarter of the 19th century. He was awarded the 1904 Nobel Prize in Literature "in recognition of the numerous and brilliant compositions which, in an individual and original manner, have revived the great traditions of the Spanish drama".


Early life

He was born in Madrid on 19 April 1832. His father, a doctor and institute professor of Greek, was from Aragon and his mother was from Navarra. He spent his childhood in Murcia, where he finished his elementary school education. It was there, at the Murcia Institute, where he first gained his love for mathematics. While still a child he read
Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as treat ...
,
Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
, and Balzac, readings that alternated with those of mathematicians like
Gauss Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss (; german: Gauß ; la, Carolus Fridericus Gauss; 30 April 177723 February 1855) was a German mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to many fields in mathematics and science. Sometimes refer ...
, Legendre, and
Lagrange Joseph-Louis Lagrange (born Giuseppe Luigi Lagrangiastereotomy ''Stereotomy'' is the ninth studio album by The Alan Parsons Project, released in 1985. Not as commercially successful as its predecessor '' Vulture Culture'', the album is structured differently from earlier Project albums: containing three ...
,
hydraulic Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counter ...
s,
descriptive geometry Descriptive geometry is the branch of geometry which allows the representation of three-dimensional objects in two dimensions by using a specific set of procedures. The resulting techniques are important for engineering, architecture, design and ...
, and differential and physical calculus from that year until 1868. From 1858 to 1860 he was also a professor at the Assistants' School of Public Works. His (1865) and (1867) were held in some regard. He became a member of the Society of Political Economy, helped to found the magazine , and took a prominent part in propagating
free trade Free trade is a trade policy that does not restrict imports or exports. It can also be understood as the free market idea applied to international trade. In government, free trade is predominantly advocated by political parties that hold econo ...
doctrines in the press and on the platform. He was clearly marked out for office, and when the
revolution of 1868 The Glorious Revolution ( es, la Gloriosa or ) took place in Spain in 1868, resulting in the deposition of Queen Isabella II. The success of the revolution marked the beginning of the with the installment of a provisional government. Backgrou ...
overthrew the monarchy, he resigned his post for a place in the revolutionary cabinet.


Government service

Echegaray also entered politics later in his life. As a founding member of the
republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Radical Democratic Party, he enjoyed a career in the government sector, being appointed Minister of Education, of Public Works and Finance Minister successively between 1867 and 1874. He retired from politics after the
Bourbon restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * ...
in 1874.


Literary career

Theater had always been the love of José Echegaray's life. Although he had written earlier plays (''La Hija natural'' and ''La Última Noche'', both in 1867), he truly became a dramatist in 1874. His plays reflected his sense of duty, which had made him famous during his time in the governmental offices. Dilemmas centered on duty and morality are the motif of his plays. He replicated the achievements of his predecessors of the
Spanish Golden Age The Spanish Golden Age ( es, Siglo de Oro, links=no , "Golden Century") is a period of flourishing in arts and literature in Spain, coinciding with the political rise of the Spanish Empire under the Catholic Monarchs of Spain and the Spanish H ...
, remaining a prolific playwright. His most famous play is ''
El gran Galeoto ''The Great Galeoto'' (Spanish: ''El gran Galeoto'') is a 1951 Spanish drama film directed by Rafael Gil and starring Ana Mariscal and Rafael Durán.de España p.119 Synopsis Ernesto is a young musician who, when his father dies, is forced to ...
'', a drama written in the grand nineteenth century manner of
melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...
. It is about the poisonous effect that unfounded gossip has on a middle-aged man's happiness. Echegaray filled it with elaborate stage instructions that illuminate what we would now consider a hammy style of acting popular in the 19th century.
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
filmed it as a silent with the title changed to ''
The World and His Wife ''The World and His Wife'' is a lost film, lost American 1920 silent drama film produced by Cosmopolitan Productions and distributed through Paramount Pictures. Directed by Robert G. Vignola, the film was based on the 1908 Broadway play of the s ...
'', and it was the basis for a later film
The Great Galeoto ''The Great Galeoto'' (Spanish: ''El gran Galeoto'') is a 1951 Spanish drama film directed by Rafael Gil and starring Ana Mariscal and Rafael Durán.de España p.119 Synopsis Ernesto is a young musician who, when his father dies, is forced to ...
. His most remarkable plays are ''O locura o santidad'' (Saint or Madman?, 1877); ''Mariana'' (1892); ''El estigma'' (1895); ''La duda'', 1898; and ''El loco Dios'' (God, the fool, 1900). Among his other famous plays are ''La esposa del vengador'' (1874) (The Avenger's Wife); ''En el puño de la espada'' (1875) (In the Sword's Handle); ''En el pilar y en la cruz'' (1878) (On the Stake and on the Cross); and ''Conflicto entre dos deberes'' (1882) (Conflict of Two Duties). Along with the Provençal poet
Frédéric Mistral Joseph Étienne Frédéric Mistral (; oc, Josèp Estève Frederic Mistral, 8 September 1830 – 25 March 1914) was a French writer of Occitan literature and lexicographer of the Provençal form of the language. He received the 1904 Nobel P ...
, he was awarded the
Nobel Prize for Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...
in 1904, after having been nominated that year by a member of the
Royal Spanish Academy The Royal Spanish Academy ( es, Real Academia Española, generally abbreviated as RAE) is Spain's official royal institution with a mission to ensure the stability of the Spanish language. It is based in Madrid, Spain, and is affiliated with ...
, making him the first Spaniard to win the prize. José Echegaray maintained constant activity until his death on 14 September 1916 in Madrid. His extensive work did not stop growing in his old age: in the final stage of his life he wrote 25 or 30 mathematical physics volumes. At the age of 83 he commented:
I cannot die, because if I am going to write my mathematical physics encyclopedia, I need at least 25 more years.


References

*


External links

* with the prize motivation
Elsevier Publishing Co. biography
*
List of works
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Echegaray y Eizaguirre, Jose 1832 births 1916 deaths Writers from Madrid Spanish dramatists and playwrights Spanish male dramatists and playwrights Nobel laureates in Literature Spanish Nobel laureates Economy and finance ministers of Spain Members of the Royal Spanish Academy 19th-century Spanish mathematicians Complutense University of Madrid alumni 19th-century male writers Government ministers during the First Spanish Republic