José María Díaz

José María Díaz de la Torre (July 1813 – 13 November 1888) was a Spanish romanticist journalist, playwright, poet, and politician. His classic works are Julio César, Lucio Junio Bruto (1844), Catilina (1856), and La muerte de César (1883). He also wrote under the pseudonym Domingo de Argote. He was also involved in the .

Biography In July 1813, Díaz was born in Caracas, Captaincy General of Venezuela to Caracan doctor and journalist and a Spanish mother. During his formative years he experienced the upheaval caused by the Spanish and Bolivarian forces in the Venezuelan War of Independence. In the summer of 1821, his family, Caracas for Madrid, Spain, arriving in fall. In 1828, he joined the Real Colegio de Santo Tomás, studying philosophy and quickly began writing under his father's vocation. In 1830, he became acquainted with the artistic scene and the romanticists of . In 1835, he published some poems in newspapers and was involved in events with Mariano José de Larra, Ventura de la Vega, Manuel Bretón de los Herreros, and José de Espronceda; in 1835, he gained traction in the Madrid literary scene with his premiere dramas Elvira de Albornoz and Felipe II at the Teatro del Príncipe. On 17 February 1837, at Larra's funeral, he was among the speakers prior to José Zorrilla's famous speech. The following year Díaz published Un poeta y una mujer, a retelling of Larra's love and suicide.

In January 1851, he was made member of the Junta Consultiva de Teatros del Reino, losing the position upon its abolition nine months later. In July 1855, out of concern, he offered the lease for the Teatro de la Cruz and Teatro del Príncipe to the ayuntamiento; he became director of Príncipe in autumn 1856, remaining an entrepreneur until the beginning of 1858. He published articles in and in 1860, became editor of 's progressive , taking over the literary section in 1863. However, since 1850 his positions became increasingly radical, eventually too much so for El Clamor and joined . ¡Redención!, Madrid, C. González, 1854 (Madrid, 1858; Salamanca, 1871) El Justicia de Aragón, Madrid, José Rodríguez, 1854 ¡Creo en Dios!, Madrid, C. González, 1854 Catilina, Madrid, José Rodríguez, 1856 Las cuatro estaciones, Madrid, José Rodríguez, 1856 Carlos IX y los Hugonotes, Madrid, José Rodríguez, 1856 Carnioli, Madrid, Julián Peña, 1857 Los dos cuáqueros, Madrid, Vicente de Lalama, 1858 Marta y María, Madrid, Anselmo Santa Coloma, 1860 Los tres banqueros, Madrid, Anselmo Santa Coloma, 1860 Misterios del carnaval, Madrid, Vicente de Lalama, 1860 La vuelta de presidio, Madrid, Anselmo Santa Coloma Luz en la sombra, Madrid, El Clamor Público, a cargo de D. Navarro y Fernández, 1861 Gabriela de Vergy, Madrid, C. González, 1862 Otro Tenorio humillado por la virtud, Madrid, Imprenta Española, 1863 Mártir siempre, nunca reo, Madrid, Centro General de Administración, 1863 El matrimonio de conciencia, Madrid, F. Martínez García, 1864 Muerta en el bosque, Madrid, F. Martínez García, 1864 Translation of Margarita Thieulay by Amédée Achard, Madrid, La Iberia, 1868 Translation of Clementina Aubernin by Amédée Achard, Madrid, La Iberia, 1868 Trece de febrero, Madrid, José Rodríguez, 1878 La muerte de César, Havana, Imprenta del Gobierno y Capitanía General, 1883