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Antoni Gaudí, Spanish Modernist Architect
Leading the Spanish Modernist movement, Antoni Gaudí has
been classified with Gothicism (sometimes called warped Gothicism), Art
Nouveau, and Surrealism. He was also influenced by Oriental styles, nature,
sculpture, and a desire to go beyond anything that had ever been done before.
Defying labels, Antoni Gaudí's work might be simple called, Gaudí-ism.
Born:
June 25, 1852 somewhere in Catalonia, possibly Baix Camp,
Tarragona, Spain
Died:
June 12, 1926
Full Name:
Antoni Plàcid Guillem Gaudí Cornet
Education:
Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura, Barcelona
Important Buildings:
1882-Present: Sagrada
Familia
1883-1888: Casa
Vicens
1886-1890: Palau
Güell
1888-1890: Colegio
Teresiano
1891-1892: Casa
Botines
1898-1900: Casa
Calvet
1900-1914: Parque
Güell
1901-1902: Finca
Miralles
1904-1906: Casa
Batlló
1906-1910: Casa
Milà Barcelona, or La Pedrera
1908-1909: Sagrada
Familia School
Awards:
1900: Casa Calvet named Building of the Year by the City of
Barcelona
1969: Casa Milà, Casa Vincens, Colegio Teresiano, Parque
Güell, and Sagrada Familia, named Historic-Artistic Monuments of National
Interest
1984: Casa Milà, Palau Güell, and Parque Güell granted World
Heritage status by UNESCO
Influences:
John Ruskin -
"Ornament is the origin of architecture"
Religion - the basis of Gaudí's inspiration, particularly in
later years
Catalan nationalism
Surrealism
Oriental structures
Art Nouveau and
shapes taken from nature
Organic architecture
Color
Geometry
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc - medieval French architecture
Quotes:
"Originality consists of returning to the origin. Thus,
originality means returning, through one's resources, to the simplicity of the
early solutions."
"Everything comes from the great book of nature."
"Artists do not need monuments erected for them because
their works are their monuments."
Life of Antoni Gaudí:
Stricken with a rheumatic problem that made walking painful,
young Antoni Gaudí often missed school and had little interaction with other
children, but had ample time to study nature. While seeking his degree in
architecture in Barcelona, Gaudí also studied philosophy, history, and
economics. He believed that differences in architecture were caused by society
and politics, rather than aesthetics.
Gaudí was granted the title of Architect and presented his
first major project, the Mataró Cooperative (a housing project for factory
workers), at the Paris World Fair in 1878. Far ahead of his time, only a small
portion of the project was actually built, but Gaudí's name became known and he
met Eusebi Güell, who would become a very close friend as well as a patron.
This meeting was extremely fortuitous: Güell trusted his friend's genius
completely and never limited or tried to change the architect's vision during
his many projects.
In 1883, Gaudí began work on his greatest project, the
Sagrada Familia church, begun in 1882 by Francisco de Paula del Villar. For
nearly 30 years, Gaudí worked on Sagrada Familia and other projects
simultaneously, until 1911, when he decided to devote himself exclusively to
the church. During the last year of his life, Gaudí lived in his studio at
Sagrada Familia.
Tragically, in June, 1926, Gaudí was run over by a tram.
Because he was poorly dressed, he was not recognized and taxi drivers refused
to take a "vagabond" to the hospital (they were later fined by the
police). Gaudí died five days later, and was buried in the crypt of the
building to which he had devoted 44 years of his life, the as-yet unfinished
Sagrada Familia.
During Gaudí's lifetime, official organizations rarely
recognized his talent. The City of Barcelona often tried (unsuccessfully) to
stop or limit Gaudí's work because it exceeded city regulations, and the only
project the City ever assigned him was that of designing streetlights. He received
the Building of the Year award for his least impressive building, Casa Calvet.
Antoni Gaudí
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Sources for this Article
