ABRAHAM VALDELOMAR: BIOGRAPHY AND WORKS - LITERATURE - 2025

Abraham Valdelomar (1888 - 1919) was a Peruvian writer known as one of the first storytellers of Peru. ¹ This Peruvian narrator, poet, journalist, playwright and essayist went through almost all literary genres.

He promoted the indigenous narrative in Peru, in his stories he regularly resorted to this style. On occasions, he even took part in pre-Columbian settings for the creation of his stories in which Quechua society during the Inca empire was the protagonist, as is the case of Los Niños del Sol.

By Own work. Reproduction of a photograph from the Courret Archive (National Library of Peru.), Via Wikimedia Commons

He started with cartooning and illustration, but soon realized that his calling was in the letters. ² Although Valdelomar did not complete his university studies, his career quickly prospered due to his natural talent with words.

Abraham Valdelomar was also linked to politics, especially during the government of Guillermo Billinghurst, who granted him different positions during his mandate. After a break from political activities, Valdelomar managed to seize the position of Congressman for a short time. ³

He also created around himself a reputation as a dandy, in the style of Oscar Wilde, with whom he was constantly compared, for his style of dress, his manners and his ego. Valdelomar was one of the first Peruvians to achieve a career not only for his pen, but also for his image. ⁴

Valdelomar even spent little more than a year on tour in Peru. On this tour, the writer was dedicated to giving lectures and talks as a method of making a living by showing the public what he represented.

He was an enthusiast of modernism, avant-garde and postmodernism in Peru. Some consider that in his work the progress of his style can be noticed among these literary currents. Valdelomar founded the magazine Colónida, which despite having a short duration, promoted many changes in Peruvian literature. ⁵

Biography

Early years

Pedro Abraham Valdelomar Pinto was born on April 16, 1888 in Ica. ^{6 He} was one of the sons of Anfioquilo Valdelomar, a public official of the city, and María Pinto. The family lived at # 286 on Arequipa Street until little Valdelomar was 4 years old. ⁷

In 1892 the family moved to the Port of Pisco, because Valdelomar's father got a job as a customs clerk. Their first memories were forged in a house in the cove of San Andrés de los Pescadores, where they lived poorly, but with much happiness. ⁸

Valdelomar always assured that these years were the happiest of his childhood. The Buenos Aires landscape influenced his work, bringing color to the narration of environments in which he knew happiness from an innocent point of view.

While Valdelomar lived in the Port of Pisco, he began attending elementary school. Then, in 1899, he went to Chincha, where he finished basic education. Finally, in 1900, he settled in the city of Lima, where he studied high school at the National School of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Foray into the arts

Abraham Valdelomar entered the National University of San Marcos as a student of Letters in 1905. The following year he began to collaborate with his drawings in different media, an activity that distracted him from his duties as a student.

Consequently, Valdelomar did not pass several of the subjects of his career and decided to change to Engineering in the same house of studies, which he studied between 1906 and 1909.

At the same time, his graphic collaborations in media such as Applause and Whistles, Silhouettes, Monos y Monadas, Fray K. Bezón, Actualidades, Cinema, Gil Blas and El Fígaro began to create a certain reputation for Abraham Valdelomar among the Lima intelligentsia. ⁹

In 1909 Valdelomar decided to leave graphic art behind and dedicate himself completely to what he felt was his real vocation: letters. He began collaborating mainly with poetry and stories influenced by modernism.

In 1910, the year in which the border conflict with Ecuador broke out, Valdelomar decided to enlist in the army reserve as a soldier. Meanwhile, he contributed his chronicles to the Peruvian newspaper El Diario. Thanks to this journalistic work, Valdelomar received the Gold Medal from the Municipality of Lima, then chaired by Guillermo Billinghurst.

By Own work. Reproduction of a photograph under public domain., via Wikimedia Commons

Race

In 1911, Abraham Valdelomar published his first serialized novels, one of them was La ciudad muerta, which appeared in Illustration Peruana, and the other La ciudad de los tísicos, published in the Peruvian medium Variedades. ¹⁰

That same year he published an article in National Opinion in which he complied with the complaints against gamoralism, made by Francisco Mostajo, a pro-indigenous delegate.

He also became friends with the musician Daniel Alomía Robles, one of the greatest defenders of the indigenous cause, who invited him to participate in a conference at the Inca Concert on January 2, 1912. ¹¹

During the electoral campaign of Billinghurst, Valdelomar supported his candidacy for the first national magistracy. For this he was rewarded with various positions, such as secretary of the Presidency.

Valdelomar also got the address of the official newspaper El Peruano, then a second-class secretariat in the legislation of Peru in Italy between 1913 and 1915. But when Billinghurst was overthrown by Óscar Benavides, Valdelomar had to return immediately to Peru. ¹²

While in Italy, he wrote El caballero Carmelo (1913), one of his most outstanding works, and for it he won an award from the newspaper La Nación. This work, which has a Creole style, shows part of the childhood memories of the landscape of the Port of Pisco that Valdelomar kept.

Dandy

Upon returning to Peru, Abraham Valdelomar became the secretary of José de la Riva Agüero, who was one of his main guides while he wrote the biography of Francisca Zubiaga de Gamarra, wife of President Agustín Gamarra, a work that he titled La Mariscala (1915). ¹³

Valdelomar also became part of the editorial team of La Prensa. It was there that he first adopted his famous pseudonym "The Count of Lemos." He also began to accentuate his dandy side, both in his clothes and in his manners. ¹⁴

They nicknamed him "the Peruvian Oscar Wilde", according to some, more for his ego, extravagance and homosexuality than for his literary similarity.

The following year, he created the magazine Colónida, which had a great influence in Peru. This publication, despite having only 4 deliveries, unleashed an entire movement that ranged from plastic to literature.

That same year he participated together with other collaborators in the poetic anthology that they baptized as Multiple Voices. ^fifteen

In 1918 Valdelomar published Belmonte el tragico and El caballero Carmelo y otros cuentos. In addition, Valdelomar toured Peru giving lectures, in some places he did it for free, in others at half price, but he always knew how to take advantage of this activity.

Valdelomar was one of the first Peruvian writers to earn enough money to sustain his lifestyle only with the image he had managed to project.

Death

Abraham Valdelomar was elected as a representative by the Department of Ica to the Regional Congress of the Center in 1919. But he was only able to attend two sessions before his death: those of October 31 and November 1. ¹⁶

On November 2, 1919 he suffered a fall that caused Valdelomar a spinal fracture and several contusions.

Abraham Valdelomar died in Ayachucho on November 3, 1919 at the age of 31. ¹⁷

Plays

Novels

Exotic tales

Cinematic tales

Yankee tales

Chinese tales

Humorous tales

Inca tales

Fantastic tales

By Own work. Reproduction of a photograph under public domain., via Wikimedia Commons

Poetry

Poetic prose

1918 - Heroic Triptych: Prayer to the flag; Invocation to the homeland; Prayer to San Martín.

Theater

- The flight (1911), drama in two acts. History of Carlos Tenaud, pioneer of Peruvian aviation.

- La mariscala (1916), drama in verse. With the collaboration of José Carlos Mariátegui.

- Purslane (1917), pastoral tragedy in 3 acts.

- Words, modernist and allegorical tragedy in 1 act.

essays

- The psychology of turtles (1915).

- Essay on caricature (1916).

- The stomach of the City of Kings (1916).

- Psychology of the dying pig (1916).

- Literature of madhouse (1917).

- Fundamental values ​​of dance (1917).

- Essay on the psychology of gallinazo (1917).

- Belmonte, the tragic. Essay of a future aesthetic through new art (1918).

Chronicles and reports

- Towards the throne of the sun (1910).

- With the Algerian woman in the wind (1910).

- Chronicles of Rome (1913).

- Report to the Lord of Miracles (1915).

Historical narratives and chronicles

- The dream of San Martín (1917).

- The loves of Pizarro (1918).

Biography

- La mariscala, biography of Francisca Zubiaga de Gamarra (1915).

Awards

- With the Algerian woman in the wind. Medal of the Municipality of Lima, 1911.

- Fundamental values ​​of dance. First Prize of the Ateneo de Lima, Contest of the Circle of Journalists, 1917.

- Essay on the psychology of buzzard. First Prize, President of the Republic, Contest of the Circle of Journalists, 1917.

References

1. Well, M. (2007). The Little Larousse Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary 2007. 13th ed. Bogotá (Colombia): Printer Colombiana, p.1761.
2. Hispano-American narrative 1816-1981. (1998). 3rd ed. México: Siglo Veintiuno Ed., Pp. 137 - 138.
3. En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Abraham Valdelomar. Available at: en.wikipedia.org.
4. Hispano-American narrative 1816-1981. (1998). 3rd ed. México: Siglo Veintiuno Ed., Pp. 137 - 138.
5. Hispano-American narrative 1816-1981. (1998). 3rd ed. México: Siglo Veintiuno Ed., Pp. 137 - 138.
6. Antonioli Delucchi, D. (2005). Review of «Lives and letters. Abraham Valdelomar. Luis Varela and Orbegoso, Lima »by Osmar Gonzales Alvarado and Jorge Paredes Lara. Historical Signs, (14), pp. 170-173.
7. Priego, M. (2000). The Plebeian Count. Lima: Editorial Fund of the Congress of Peru, p.26.
8. Arroyo Reyes, C. (2005). Our ten years. The Pro-Indigenous Association, the Rumi Maqui uprising and modernist Incaism. SL: Libros en Red, pp. 44 - 46.
9. Arroyo Reyes, C. (2005). Our ten years. The Pro-Indigenous Association, the Rumi Maqui uprising and modernist Incaism. SL: Libros en Red, pp. 44 - 46.
10. Antonioli Delucchi, D. (2005). Review of «Lives and letters. Abraham Valdelomar. Luis Varela and Orbegoso, Lima »by Osmar Gonzales Alvarado and Jorge Paredes Lara. Historical Signs, (14), pp. 170-173.
11. Arroyo Reyes, C. (2005). Our ten years. The Pro-Indigenous Association, the Rumi Maqui uprising and modernist Incaism. SL: Libros en Red, pp. 44 - 46.
12. Antonioli Delucchi, D. (2005). Review of «Lives and letters. Abraham Valdelomar. Luis Varela and Orbegoso, Lima »by Osmar Gonzales Alvarado and Jorge Paredes Lara. Historical Signs, (14), pp. 170-173.
13. Hispano-American narrative 1816-1981. (1998). 3rd ed. México: Siglo Veintiuno Ed., Pp. 137 - 138.
14. En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Abraham Valdelomar. Available at: en.wikipedia.org.
15. Hispano-American narrative 1816-1981. (1998). 3rd ed. México: Siglo Veintiuno Ed., Pp. 137 - 138.
16. Congress of the Republic of Peru (2018). Documentary Piece of the Month: ABRAHAM VALDELOMAR Regional Deputy for Ica 1919. Available at: congreso.gob.pe.
17. En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Abraham Valdelomar. Available at: en.wikipedia.org.