Antoni Gaudi – Master Architect of the Catalan Modernista and Beyond
The 19th Century was a time of rigorous change with the advent of the Industrial Revolution. Many cultural shifts were happening throughout western europe, in England it was called Art Nouveau, in France it was called Le Style Moderne, in Germany in was Jugenstil, and in Vienna it was Sezessionstil. However, in Catalonia it was named Modernisme (or as it is known to the rest of the world, Catalan Modernism) and it’s master was named Antoni Gaudi.
Antoni Gaudi was born south of Barcelona in Catalonia on 1852 as the youngest of five siblings. Early on in life, Gaudi had a great appreciation for nature and the outdoors. However, he would be afflicted with rheumatism and other ailments throughout his youth contributing to his reserved nature. In 1868, he moved to Barcelona where he studied teaching in a convent. In 1875, Gaudi would begin his four years of obligatory military service but his weak health would cause him to take multiple sick leaves. This gave him the opportunity to study architecture at the Lotja School and the Barcelona HIgher School of Architecture, where he graduated with an architecture degree in 1878.
Gaudi would begin to attract clients before his graduation. He received his first major commision from Manuel Vicens i Montaner, a brick and tile manufacturer, to build Casa Vicens. This project cemented his reputation as an architect in Barcelona.
In the same year he would begin building his most famous building, the Basílica de la Sagrada Família. Plans for the design were already created but when Gaudi entered the production he radically changed these initial plans, marking it with his own distinct style.
Gaudi would die working on the Basílica de la Sagrada Família. He was hit by a trolley car at the age of 73. Due to his shabby clothes and lack of identification, he was assumed to be a beggar. This caused a delay in medical attention that ultimately lead to his death.
Sources
- Roe, J. Antoni Gaudí. Parkstone International, 2012. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=455933&site=eds-live&scope=site.
- https://www.theartstory.org/artist/gaudi-antoni/life-and-legacy/
- https://www.biography.com/artist/antoni-gaudi
- https://www.casabatllo.es/en/antoni-gaudi/
- https://www.architecturaldigest.in/content/antoni-gaudi-happy-birthday-master-catalan-modernism/