Caterina Albert i Paridis (1869-1966) “Victor Catala”

Works:

Tales
Drames rurals – 1902
Ombrívoles – 1904
Caires vius – 1907
La Mare-Balena – 1920
Vida molta – 1949
Jubileu – 1951

Monologues
La infanticida – 1898
El llibre nou – 1898

Fiction
El llibre blanc – 1905
Marines – 1928
Contrallums – 1930

Novel
Solitud – 1905
Un film (300 metres) – 1926

Poesy
El cant dels mesos – 1901
Llibre Blanc – Policromi – Tríptic – 1905

Theater
Quatre monòlegs – 1902
Teatre inèdit (published in 1967)

Miscellaneous
De civisme i civilitat – 1917
Sensacions d’Empúries – 1923
Mosaic – 1946

Life:

Born in l’Escala (Alt Empordà) in the year 1869 into a family of rural owners.
Her cultural education, basically self-taught, was oriented to the artistic aspects she preferred, specially the literature and the painting.
Caterina Albert started to publish some writings in the magazine “l’Esquella de la Torratxa” with the pseudonymous Virgili Alacseal at a very young age.
Her works are influenced by the literary movements of her youngness: the Modernisme (Art Nouveau) in its first period, with works as Solitud (1905) – a capital work of the Catalan literary Art Nouveau – and at the end of her life, the naturalism.
As a result of the scandal of her writing “La infanticida” (The infanticide) presented to the Floral Games of Olot in 1898, in which he shown an analysis of the a woman exploited by a primitive and rural society, he adopted the pseudonym of Víctor Català.
The theatre was one of the big passions of Caterina Albert, instead of this is one of her more unknown aspects. Her works are regrouped in “Quatre monòlegs” (1902) and Teatre inèdit (1967).
Her poetic works are, as her theatre, not very much known, and is basically composed of tragic monologs with romantic influences.
Her works in prose are recognized as ones of most importants in Catalan language. In addition of “Solitud”, other works are “Drames rurals” (1902), “Ombrívoles” (1904) and “Caires vius” (1907).
From 1917, her works take a new orientation to the naturalism with texts as the novel “Un film (300 metres)” (1926) and other writings as “Contrallums” (1930) and “Jubileu” (1951) who is the last one.
The most common aspects of the Caterina Albert works are developed in rural ambiances with cruel people dominated by fatalism. This tendency is broken at the end of her work, specially in “Jubileu”, developed into a city (Barcelona) shown more refined ambiences and the nostalgia of other times.
Caterina Albert died in her native town in the year 1966.

Other Catalan Art Nouveau Writers:

Caterina Albert i Paradís Prudenci Bertrana  Jaume Brossa i Roger Raimon Casellas i Dou  Ignasi Iglesias i Pujades Pompeu Gener  Adrià Gual i Queralt Hortensi Güell  Antoni Isern  Albert Llanas  Joan Maragall i Gorina  Alfons Maseras i Galtés Jaume Massó i Torrents  Apel·les Mestres i Oñós 
Rafael Nogueras i Ollé  Miquel de Palol Josep Pin i Soler  Josep Pons i Pagès Pere Prat i Gaballí  Joan Puig i Ferrater Alexandre Riquer i Ynglada  Santiago Rusiñol i Prats  Joaquim Ruyra i Oms Maria Antònia Salvà  Víctor Català (see Caterina Albert) 
Plàcid Vidal i Rosich  Jeroni Zanné i Rodríguez