Gustavo Adolfo Claudio Domínguez Bastida, better known as Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, was a Spanish Romantic poet and writer, primarily recognized for his short stories, plays, and literary columns. He was also talented in drawing. Today, he is considered one of the most important figures in Spanish literature, and some regard him as the most read writer after Miguel de Cervantes.

Bécquer adopted the alias "Bécquer," a pseudonym previously used by his brother, the painter Valeriano Bécquer. He was closely associated with the Romanticism and post-Romanticism movements, writing during a time when realism was gaining popularity in Spain. While moderately well-known during his lifetime, most of Bécquer's works were published posthumously. His most famous works include "Rhymes and Legends" (Rimas y leyendas), which remain essential to the study of Spanish literature and are commonly read by high-school students in Spanish-speaking countries.

Bécquer's writing approached traditional poetry and themes in a modern way, and he is credited with founding modern Spanish lyricism. His impact on 20th-century Spanish-language poets can be observed in the works of Luis Cernuda, Octavio Paz, Giannina Braschi, Antonio Machado, and Juan Ramón Jiménez. Bécquer himself drew inspiration from literary giants like Cervantes, Shakespeare, Goethe, and Heinrich Heine.