Washinton Irvin (New York, 1783 - Sunnyside, 1859). One of the first prose writers of North American letters. He owes his fame to the character of his work more than its quality, a fame he earned not so much for what he did, but for being the first to do it. He wrote the first short stories, such a characteristic of North American literature. He was also the first to make a literary weapon of humour and satire, creating the colloquial American style that would later be employed by Twain and Hemingway. Irving took pleasure in detail, enjoyed writing descriptions and always did so simply, without overly elaborate language. A perfect romantic due to his love of the past which, as a citizen of a newly-created country, he had to look for in Europe, and drawn to the exotic and picturesque, he found in Spain an endless source of inspiration.