GARCA DE LA HUERTA, VICENTE (ANTONIO)

born March 9, 1734, Zafra, Spain died March 12, 1787, Madrid playwright, poet, and critic whose Neoclassical tragedy Raquel (1778) was once considered the most distinguished tragic drama of 18th-century Spain. Garca held a position in the Royal (later National) Library and was a political prisoner in Oran, where Raquel was performed. Although he was learned and translated Sophocles and Voltaire, his critical ability was not very sound. His 16-volume Teatro espaol (178586; Spanish Theatre), a collection of Spanish drama from the Golden Age (c. 15001650), was personal in its outlook, reflecting his particular interest in classical drama; Lope de Vega, Juan Ruiz de Alarcn, and several other important dramatists of the Golden Age were omitted from the work.