Gonzalo Escudero Moscoso (Quito, September 28, 1903 – Brussels, October 10, 1971) was an Ecuadorian poet, academic and diplomat. He earned a doctorate in jurisprudence at the Central University of Ecuador. He was a distinguished professor of international law at the University of Quito, Secretary of Education, Secretary of Congress, and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He served as Ecuador’s ambassador to Uruguay (1942-1845), Peru (1956), Argentina (1961), Colombia (1963), Brazil (1965), UNESCO (1960) and Belgium (1971). In 1964 he was appointed Chancellor of the Republic. At age 16 he published his first book of poems “Los Poemas del Aire,” which won the National Intercollegiate Poetry Contest of 1918. His second book of poems “Las Parábolas Olímpicas” won at the University Floral Games of 1922. He published over a dozen other books, including 2 books posthumously: “Réquiem por la Luz” and “Nocturno de Septiembre.”
Early Life and Education
Gonzalo Escudero Moscoso was born on September 28, 1903, in Quito, Ecuador, to Manuel Eduardo Escudero Viteri, a prominent liberal lawyer, and Elina Moscoso Dalgo. He grew up in a family of seven siblings and received his early education at the Colegio Mejía. His early literary passion was fostered by mentors who introduced him to the works of Spanish mystic poets like Fray Luis de León. By age eleven, Escudero published his first poem, “Viento de Verano,” in El Republicano newspaper. His poetic talents were recognized early; at fifteen, he won a national poetry competition with Los Poemas del Arte, marking the start of his literary journey. Escudero graduated from the Central University of Ecuador with a Doctorate in Jurisprudence in 1928, a degree that would serve as a foundation for his later career in diplomacy and international law.
Literary Career
Escudero’s literary works are known for their avant-garde style and profound philosophical themes. His first significant works, Los Poemas del Arte (1918) and Las Parábolas Olímpicas (1922), signaled a departure from modernism towards the new vanguard poetry emerging in Ecuador. He was a contemporary of Jorge Carrera Andrade and Hugo Mayo, with whom he shared a pioneering spirit in Ecuadorian poetry. Escudero’s writing style—characterized by intricate metaphors, surrealistic imagery, and a search for existential meaning—won him praise but also made his work notoriously complex to interpret.
Throughout the 1930s, he continued to publish notable works, including Hélices de Huracán y de Sol (1933), which drew praise from Spanish writer Miguel de Unamuno for its mature and evocative imagery. In 1935, he published Paralelogramo, an experimental play embodying symbolic and surrealist themes that explored the complexities of human identity and existence. In 1947, Escudero’s acclaimed work Altanoche was published, highlighting his innovative use of classical poetic forms within an avant-garde framework.
Escudero’s later works include Estatua de Aire (1951), a collection praised for its classical elegance and exploration of metaphysical themes, Materia del Ángel (1953), Autorretrato (1957), and Introducción a la Muerte (1960). His final work, Réquiem por la Luz (1971), completed shortly before his death, is considered one of the pinnacles of Ecuadorian poetry, synthesizing themes of love, death, and spirituality with profound lyrical depth.
Diplomatic and Academic Career
In 1931, Escudero began his career in diplomacy under the mentorship of literary critic Gonzalo Zaldumbide. His diplomatic postings included roles as chargé d’affaires in France and Panama, as well as ambassadorial appointments to Uruguay, Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, and Belgium. He also served as Ecuador’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO in Paris in 1960 and held the role of Minister of Foreign Affairs in Ecuador in 1964.
Escudero’s diplomatic career was closely linked to his involvement in critical international and regional events. In 1942, he was an advisor to Ecuador’s delegation at the Rio Protocol negotiations, where he opposed the treaty, which resulted in Ecuador ceding territory to Peru. Later, he represented Ecuador at the founding conference of the United Nations in 1945 and at multiple sessions of the United Nations General Assembly. His contributions to Ecuadorian foreign policy also included active participation in the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
In parallel with his diplomatic duties, Escudero served as a professor of international law and philosophy at the Central University of Ecuador, contributing to the academic and cultural landscape of his country.
Personal Life
In 1937, Gonzalo Escudero married Gladys Dillon Calisto, daughter of economist Luis Napoleón Dillon. The couple had two children. Escudero’s lifestyle was marked by elegance, wit, and an unyielding dedication to his intellectual pursuits. Fluent in several languages, he often grappled with the complexities of language and meaning, a pursuit that influenced his poetry’s highly polished style. Escudero’s health suffered due to heavy smoking, leading to a chronic respiratory condition that affected him in his later years.
Legacy and Recognition
Escudero’s contributions to Ecuadorian literature, particularly in the postmodernist and avant-garde movements, have left a lasting impact on the country’s literary heritage. His poetry, often seen as hermetic and challenging, is recognized for its sophisticated use of language and form, embodying themes of mysticism, existentialism, and the metaphysical. Works like Réquiem por la Luz are celebrated for their exploration of human experience, spirituality, and poetic form.
Escudero’s accolades include posthumous honors from the Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana, which published Variaciones, a collection of his essays, in 1972. He is also considered one of Ecuador’s “Three Greats” of postmodernist poetry, alongside Carrera Andrade and Alfredo Gangotena.
Death
Gonzalo Escudero passed away on December 10, 1971, in Brussels, Belgium, following a pulmonary embolism. He was posthumously honored in Quito for his lifelong dedication to Ecuadorian diplomacy and literature. His passing marked the loss of a unique poetic voice, one whose legacy continues to enrich Ecuadorian and Latin American literary traditions.
Videos
Video biography of Gonzalo Escudero Moscoso
Tomás Galindo reads the poetry of Gonzalo Escudero Moscoso
Poem
OVERTONES
Holy ointment of the burning wound. Holy ointment
Of celestial cleansing. Olive branches
And a star. The wet heart of acanthus
Twisted about the fugitive sylph’s forehead.
Evoking the theme in a hautboy’s minors,
The small bell tinkles in the mouth of the tigress.
The heart of the sylph is a flute unfolding,
And our hearts are tall flames a-caper.
Puppet-master sylph, play upon your bagpipe!
Loudly laugh your white peal of human laughter.
Under the stony pupil of Medusa,
Let us quaff the amber blood of the apple!
— Gonzalo Escudero Moscoso
Translated by Muna Lee
Originally published in Poetry: A Magazine of Verse, Volume XXVI, Number III, June 1925, edited by Harriet Monroe, in the Spanish-American Number.
Timeline of Gonzalo Escudero’s Life and Achievements
1903-1920: Early Years and Education
- 1903: Born on September 28 in Quito, Ecuador.
- 1914: Publishes his first poem, Viento de Verano, at age 11 in El Republicano newspaper.
- 1916: Begins studies at Instituto Nacional Mejía; his poetic talents are encouraged by mentors.
- 1918: Wins National Poetry Prize for secondary students with Los Poemas del Arte, published in 1919.
- 1920: Publishes early work Pantomima de las Alucinaciones in the magazine Vida Intelectual.
1921-1935: Early Literary and Academic Pursuits
- 1922: Wins prestigious Flor Natural prize with his poem Las Parábolas Olímpicas, commemorating the centenary of the Battle of Pichincha.
- 1926-1931: Works as a professor at Colegio Mejía and the Central University of Ecuador, teaching ethics, logic, and law.
- 1928: Graduates from the Central University of Ecuador with a Doctorate in Jurisprudence.
- 1931: Begins diplomatic career in Paris as Chargé d’Affaires; starts connections with European intellectuals.
- 1933: Publishes Hélices de Huracán y de Sol, a work praised by Miguel de Unamuno for its mature style.
- 1935: Releases Paralelogramo, an avant-garde play exploring surrealist and symbolic themes.
1936-1949: Diplomatic Service and Literary Achievements
- 1936: Appointed Professor of Philosophy and History of Law at the Central University of Ecuador.
- 1937: Marries Gladys Dillon Calisto; the couple has two children.
- 1942: Serves as advisor during the Rio Protocol negotiations concerning Ecuador-Peru border dispute; opposes treaty outcome.
- 1945: Represents Ecuador at the founding conference of the United Nations in San Francisco.
- 1947: Publishes Altanoche, a significant contribution to Ecuadorian avant-garde poetry.
- 1949: Appointed Ambassador to France and attends a conference on arts in Paris.
1950-1960: Continued Diplomatic Posts and Poetic Maturity
- 1951: Publishes Estatua de Aire, praised for its classical elegance and depth.
- 1953: Releases Materia del Ángel, demonstrating influence from the Spanish poet Góngora.
- 1956: Serves as Ecuador’s Ambassador to Peru, his second term in this role.
- 1957: Publishes Autorretrato, a work of philosophical introspection in verse.
- 1960: Writes Introducción a la Muerte, reflecting existential themes; appointed Ecuador’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO in Paris.
1961-1968: High-Level Diplomacy and Ministerial Role
- 1961: Appointed Ecuador’s Ambassador to Argentina, continuing his diplomatic service in South America.
- 1963: Serves as Ambassador to Colombia for six months.
- 1964: Named Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, representing the country at international forums including the OAS and the UN.
- 1968: Publishes Justicia para el Ecuador, a legal work arguing against the validity of the Rio Protocol treaty.
1969-1971: Final Years and Legacy
- 1971: Publishes Réquiem por la Luz, a lyrical exploration of love, life, and death, considered his poetic masterpiece. Appointed Ecuador’s Ambassador to Belgium, his final diplomatic post. Writes his last work, Nocturno de Septiembre, shortly before his death.
- December 10, 1971: Passes away in Brussels at age 68 due to a pulmonary embolism.
- 1972: Posthumous publication of Variaciones, a collection of eight cultural essays.
Selected Works
- Los Poemas del Arte (1918)
- Las Parábolas Olímpicas (1922)
- Hélices de Huracán y de Sol (1933)
- Paralelogramo (1935)
- Altanoche (1947)
- Estatua de Aire (1951)
- Materia del Ángel (1953)
- Autorretrato (1957)
- Introducción a la Muerte (1960)
- Réquiem por la Luz (1971)
- Variaciones (1972, posthumous)