Francisco de Quevedo

Francisco Gómez de Quevedo (1580-1645) was a Spanish nobleman, politician, and writer, renowned as one of the leading figures of the Baroque literary movement. He was born on September 14, 1580, in Madrid to Francisco Gómez de Quevedo, who served as secretary to Maria of Spain, the daughter of Emperor Charles V, and María de Santibáñez, who was a lady-in-waiting to the queen. Quevedo came from a family of hidalgos (minor nobility) hailing from the village of Vejorís in Cantabria, part of the...See more

Francisco Gómez de Quevedo (1580-1645) was a Spanish nobleman, politician, and writer, renowned as one of the leading figures of the Baroque literary movement. He was born on September 14, 1580, in Madrid to Francisco Gómez de Quevedo, who served as secretary to Maria of Spain, the daughter of Emperor Charles V, and María de Santibáñez, who was a lady-in-waiting to the queen. Quevedo came from a family of hidalgos (minor nobility) hailing from the village of Vejorís in Cantabria, part of the Castilian aristocracy. Quevedo is best remembered for his poetry, which was rooted in ""conceptismo,"" a style characterized by sharp wit, clarity, and brevity. This was in direct contrast to the more elaborate style of his rival, Luis de Góngora, who followed ""culteranismo,"" which favored more ornate and complex language. Along with Góngora, Quevedo was one of the most influential Spanish poets of his time. He is also known for his satirical works and his critique of society, which often highlighted the vices and moral contradictions of the age. See less