Rafael Alberti

RAFAEL ALBERTI (El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz, 1902 - 1999).
"Cal y canto", º Edition, 1931.
Publisher: Plutarco, Madrid.
Artistic binding in Dutch leather with title on the spine. Original covers preserved.
Measurements: 19,5 x 13,5 cm.
Published in 1929 and republished in 1931, Cal y canto represents a decisive stage in the author's creative evolution. In this work, Alberti moves away from the popular and seafaring inspiration that characterized previous titles to enter into a more cultured, elaborated and experimental poetry. The book shows a deep admiration for the Spanish baroque tradition, especially for the work of Luis de Góngora, whose influence is evident in the metaphorical richness, syntactic complexity and refinement of the language.
The poems of Cal y canto combine elements of urban modernity with classical references, creating a poetic universe where architecture, speed, technical advances and the literary heritage of the Golden Age coexist. This synthesis between tradition and avant-garde is one of the most significant contributions of the book and a distinctive feature of the aesthetics of the Generation of '27.
Considered one of the key works of Spanish poetry between the wars, Cal y canto reflects the moment of full artistic maturity of Alberti, who manages to transform contemporary reality into poetic matter through a language of great formal virtuosity. The work occupies a prominent place in his production and is an essential testimony of the aesthetic quests that marked Spanish literature in the first decades of the 20th century.