Literature. – The echo of the exuberant production begun around the thirties in Ecuador has not yet died out and several writers belonging to that generation have continued to publish works of considerable importance.
Aguilera Malta himself, who had moved to Mexico in those years, published in 1970 his great novel Siete lunas y sei serpientes, in which he takes up the old themes linked to the montuvio, to the half-breed of the Ecuadorian coast, followed by El secuestro del general (1973), Jaguar (1977) and Requiem para el diablo (1978).
EG Gilbert, who in 1942 had earned first prize in a national fiction competition with Nuestro Pan, in 1967 published a small collection entitled La cabeza de un ni ^ no en un tacho de basura. A. Pareja Díez-Canseco, whose last titles, Las pequeñas estaturas and La Manticora, are from 1974, continues the heartfelt clear fresco of the historical cycle Los años nuevos. AF Rojas, whose name is linked to the Exodo de Yangana, a novel that appeared in Buenos Aires in 1949, published the last novel, Curipamba, in 1985. And finally, A. Ortiz expresses his anger in La envoltura del sueño, from 1982. For Ecuador 2006, please check computergees.com.
Icaza, the greatest exponent of Ecuadorian indigenism, deserves a separate mention, however, analyzed through the problems of the half-caste who is unable to place himself in either the Indian or the white space; of his seven novels only two, Huasipungo (1934; trans. it., 1961) and Huayrapamushcas (1948), are entirely dedicated to the indigenous world, while Cholos (1938; trans. it., I mestizos, 1949), El chulla Romero y Flores (1958) and Media vida deslumbrados (1942). With Atrapados, an extended trilogy published in 1972, Icaza gets rid of the stereotypes that characterized the first novels.
At the heart of the narrative is the theme of political and existential frustrations. Examples are Los bienes (1981) by V. Rivas; Antiguas caras en el espejo (1984) by F. Proano; Teoría del desencanto (1986) by R. Pérez Torres, and the collection of short stories Pájara de la memoria (1984) by I. Egüez. Among the many other works, Ciudad lejana (1982) by J. Vazconez and La historia de un intruso (1974), Un delfín y la luna (1985) by MA Rodríguez deserve a particular mention, but above all, the novel may not be remembered. most famous of Ecuadorian literature of the seventies, Entre Marx y una mujer desnuda (1976) by JE Adoum (b.1923).
Analogous themes characterize the poem. We remember among the numerous poets H. Binueza, author of Un gallinazo cantor bajo el sol de a perro (1970); R. Arias, whose name is linked to the collection Poesía en bicicleta (1975), and many others such as U. Estrella, I. Carvajal and R. Larrea. Expression of the new poetic trends are the collection Los códices de Lorenzo Trinidad (1985) by J. Ponce and Levantiento del país con textos libres (1982), Casa de las Américas award, by J. Pasos Barrera.
In 1970 the entire theatrical production of Aguilera Malta was published under the title Complete Theater. Among the authors of some importance we remember J. Martínez Queirolo (b.1931), whose works, marked by social protest, were largely collected in volume in 1974.
Arts. – From the portrait, from the historical picture, from folklore, from poignant landscapes such as those of L. Martínez (1869-1909) and JL Mera (1874-1955), Ecuadorian painting, in the late 20th century, turns to portray with nostalgic sadness suggestive corners of the colonial city. The position of Quito in the middle of the Andes and its Euro-Indian crossbreed baroque, which explodes in sparkling interiors for the gold leaves that cover the carvings (the greatest masterpieces are the churches of La compañía, 17th-18th centuries and of San Francisco, 16th-18th centuries), attract Ecuadorian and foreign artists, who create works of more documentary than artistic interest. Among them: JE Guerrero (1905-1988), J. Espín (1904-1980), the Chilean S. Guarderas (b.1901), the Spaniard JM Roura Oxandaberro (1882-1947).
On May 24, 1904, the Escuela de Bellas Artes was founded in Quito, which had had a previous life from 1872 to 1875. The Escuela was marked by academism and not even the scholarships in Europe that the government granted were able to free Ecuadorian art. from the yoke of the model. From 1915 the teachings of Decoration and Color Theory were entrusted to the French painter PA Bar, who introduced painting en plen air, arousing interest in the new. In the landscapes of V. Mideros (1888-1969) we find modern hints of nabis.
In 1917 the first exhibition “ Mariano Aguilera ” was held in Quito, which has continued and whose prize is coveted.
Rendón Seminario (1894-1982) was born, trained and lived in Paris, exhibiting in 1926 in the galleries of Zborowski and the following year in that of L. Rosenberg. His art is played on the circularity of the human face, on the transparencies of the circles that overlap and indicate depth, on the brightness of the colors, on the application of paint in short strokes, almost points. In maturity the figurative reference is reduced to accurately dotted chromatic circles. From 1937, when he returned, he was an unusual presence, which contributed significantly to the renewal of Ecuadorian modern art.
