PARES | Spanish Archives

Identification

Type:

Person

Preferred form:

Moreno Villa, José (1887-1955)

Dates of existence/Biographical dates:

Málaga (España) 1887-02-16 - Ciudad de México (México) 1955-04-25

History:

José Moreno Villa was a Spanish painter, draftsman, archivist, librarian, historian, art critic, and poet. He was a member of the Generación del 27 (Generation of '27). In his native Malaga he founded the magazine "Gibralfaro", which animated the cultural panorama of the city until the arrival of the Manuel Altolaguirre's magazine "Litoral." He studied Chemistry in Freiburg (Germany) and Art History at the Central University of Madrid. In 1917 he went to Madrid and settled in the Students' Residence. He stayed there until November 29, 1936, when the Spanish Civil War ended with it. He worked at the Center of Historical Studies, and from 1931 to 1936 he was director of the National Palace Archive, now the Royal Palace of Madrid. At the end of 1936, together with other intellectuals related to the Second Republic, he was transferred to Valencia. He went to the United States in February 1937 and from there he travelled to Mexico, the final point of the Spanish exile from the Civil War. In Mexico he maintained a friendship with Alfonso Reyes, Leon Felipe, and Luis Buñuel. Octavio Paz wrote an essay on his poetry. He died in the Mexican capital on April 25, 1955.