author
Manuel Tamayo y Baus
1829–1898
A major voice in 19th-century Spanish theater, he helped move the stage from Romantic drama toward a more realistic style. Best known for plays like Un drama nuevo, he also held important literary posts in Madrid’s cultural life.
1 Audiobook
Más vale maña que fuerza Proverbio en un acto; with notes, exercises, and vocabulary
by Manuel Tamayo y Baus
About the author
Born in Madrid on September 15, 1829, Manuel Tamayo y Baus grew up in a theatrical family, which helps explain how early and how naturally he entered the world of drama. He became one of the leading Spanish playwrights of his century and is often remembered as an important bridge between Romanticism and Realism on the Spanish stage.
His best-known works include Un drama nuevo and La locura de amor. Contemporary reference sources describe him as one of the dominant dramatists of mid-19th-century Spain, admired for careful stagecraft and for bringing a stronger sense of psychological and social realism into his plays.
Tamayo y Baus was also active in Spain’s literary institutions. He joined the Real Academia Española in 1859, later served as its secretary, and was appointed director of the Biblioteca Nacional. He died in Madrid on June 20, 1898, leaving behind a body of work that remained central to the history of Spanish drama.