Álvarez Quintero brothers

Álvarez Quintero brothers, Spanish brothers who collaborated in almost 200 dramas depicting the life, manners, and speech of Andalusia. Serafín Álvarez Quintero (b. March 26, 1871, Utrera, Sevilla, Spain—d. April 12, 1938, Madrid) and Joaquín Álvarez Quintero (b. Jan. 20, 1873, Utrera, Sevilla, Spain—d. June 14, 1944, Madrid) produced work that was among the most popular in Spain during the early 20th century and greatly added to the revival of the Spanish theatre. Their dramas are remarkable for a vivacious and skilled presentation. Among the brothers’ better-known plays are Los galeotes (1900; “The Galley Slaves”), El amor que pasa (1904; “The Love That Passes”), and Malvaloca (1912), a serious drama that received the prize of the Spanish Royal Academy. Several of their plays were translated into English by Helen and Harley Granville-Barker (1927–32); their complete works were published in Obras completas, 7 vol. (1953–54).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.