Antoni Gaudi

From New World Encyclopedia
Revision as of 01:29, 9 June 2007 by MaedaMartha (talk | contribs)


Antoni Gaudí
Antoni Gaudi 1878.jpg
Antoni Gaudí in 1878
Personal information
Name Antoni Gaudí
Birth name {{{birth_name}}}
Nationality Spaniard
Birth date 25 June 1852
Birth place Reus, or Riudoms[1][2]
Date of death 12 June 1926
Place of death Barcelona, Spain
Work
Significant buildings Sagrada Família, Casa Milà, Casa Batlló
Significant projects Park Güell, Colònia Güell

Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (25 June 1852 – 12 June 1926) – sometimes referred to by the Spanish translation of his name, Antonio Gaudí – was an architect from Catalonia, Spain who belonged to the Modernism (Art Nouveau) movement and was famous for his unique style and highly individualistic designs.

Gaudí, throughout his life, was fascinated by nature. He studied nature's angles and curves and incorporated them into his designs. Instead of relying on geometric shapes, he mimicked the way trees and humans grow and stand upright. The hyperboloids and paraboloids he borrowed from nature were easily reinforced by steel rods and allowed his designs to resemble elements from the environment. It has been hypothesized that it was this exposure to nature at an early age that began to hone two of his greatest qualities: observation and the analysis of nature.

Gaudi believed that different architectural styles did not depend on aesthetic ideas but on the social and political atmosphere, so he made sure to attend Philosophy, History, Economics and Aesthetics classes.

Birth and childhood

Gaudí was born in the area of Tarragona, Spain, in 1852. (While many believe his birthplace to be the town of Reus, others claim it was in fact Riudoms.[2]) It is certain that he was baptized in Reus a day after his birth. The artist's parents, Francesc Gaudí Serra and Antònia Cornet Bertran, both came from families of metal smiths.

The youngest of five, Gaudí found he was too lame to play with friends his age because of rheumatism. (Some believe he only had arthritis in his hands and could, in fact, take walks). Because he was in considerable pain, he was rarely able to walk on foot and was forced to ride a donkey when he wanted to venture from his home. The fact that he remained close to home allowed him substantial free time to inspect nature and its design.[2] It has been hypothesized that it was this exposure to nature at an early age that began to hone two of his greatest qualities: observation and the analysis of nature.[3] At age eleven he entered the Col.legi de les Escoles Píes (Pious School) in Reus. From this moment on it seems that his intellectual growth was substantial, since he achieved very good grades in Geometry. His "religiousness" probably began there, because every Saturday evening, the Oficio del Parvo de la Virgen was recited. His academic transcript is still kept there. It makes it clear that he was not a genius in school, but with the years of study he made notable improvements, eventually earning some "excellent" grades. Gaudi recalls that at Escola Pies he learned the "value of the divine history of the salvation of man through Christ incarnate, given to the world by the Virgin Mary." Later, these ideas helped to influence the design of the Sagrada Familia. To the school, he contributed drawings to illustrate the handwritten weekly school newsletter and designed the scenes for the school theatre. He made physical changes that allowed him to take field trips, on which he greatly enjoyed observing new landscapes.

Higher education

In 1868 Gaudí moved to Barcelona to study architecture. After completing three elective courses at the Provincial School of Architecture, and two courses in the College of Science, he was able to enter the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura (Upper Technical School of Architecture) in 1873. Gaudi believed that different architectural styles did not depend on aesthetic ideas but on the social and political atmosphere, so he made sure to attend Philosophy, History, Economics and Aesthetics classes. Antoni was not an outstanding student, but he was good enough to obtain a solid education of elementary architectural knowledge. The trial drawings and projects courses where the only two that he received excellent grades in. Since he never married, he was always accompanied, even during his architectural studies, by his father and niece, Rosa Egea. His mother died shortly after Gaudí began studying for his degree in architecture, in 1876.

Even though he considered himself an architect long before, he was granted the official title of architect in 1878. As he signed Gaudí's title, Elies Rogent declared, "Qui sap si hem donat el diploma a un boig o a un geni: el temps ens ho dirà" ("Who knows if we have given this diploma to a nut or to a genius. Time will tell.") .)[4] The newly named architect immediately began to plan and design and would remain affiliated with the school his entire life.

Early career

  • 1878–1879: Lampposts for the Plaça Reial at Barcelona;
  • 1878: Showcase for glove manufacturer Comella. Via this work, used at the World's Fair in Paris, Eusebi Güell came to know the architect.[5]
  • 1878–1882: Several designs for the Obrera Mataronense at Mataró. Only a very small part of these plans was built, but it shows Gaudí's first use of parabolic arches, here in a wooden structure.
  • 1883–1885: Casa Vicens;
  • 1883–1885: Villa "El Capricho" at Comillas (Santander);
  • 1884: Finca Güell: Entrance pavillion and stables for the palace at Pedralbes (first completed building for Eusebi Güell);
  • 1884–1891: Completion of the crypt of the Sagrada Família (the crypt had been started by the architect Francisco del Villar in 1882, who had to abandon the project in 1883);
  • 1885–1889: Palau Güell;
  • 1887–1893: Episcopal palace at Astorga;
  • 1889–1894: Colegio Teresiano;
  • 1891–1893: Outer walls of the absis of the Sagrada Família;
  • 1892–1894: Casa de los Botines at León.

Later years

File:Casa Milà - Barcelona, Catalonia - Jan 2007.jpg
The Casa Milà, in the Eixample, Barcelona.

Gaudi was an ardent Catholic, to the point that in his later years, he abandoned secular work and devoted his life to Catholicism and his Sagrada Família. He designed it to have 18 towers, 12 for the 12 apostles, 4 for the 4 evangelists, one for Mary and one for Jesus. Soon after, his closest family and friends began to die. His works slowed to a halt, and his attitude changed. Perhaps one of his closest family members – his niece Rosa Egea – died in 1912, only to be followed by a "faithful collaborator, Francesc Berenguer Mestres" two years later. After both tragedies, Barcelona fell on hard times, economically. The construction of La Sagrada Família slowed; the construction of La Colonia Güell ceased altogether. Four years later, Eusebi Güell, his patron, died.[6]

Perhaps it was because of this unfortunate sequence of events that Gaudí changed. He became reluctant to talk with reporters or have his picture taken and solely concentrated on his masterpiece, La Sagrada Família.[6]

On June 7, 1926, Antoni Gaudí was run over by a tram. Because of his ragged attire and empty pockets, multiple cab drivers refused to pick him up for fear that he would be unable to pay the fare. He was eventually taken to a pauper's hospital in Barcelona. Nobody recognized the injured artist until his friends found him the next day. When they tried to move him into a nicer hospital, Gaudí refused, reportedly saying "I belong here among the poor." He died five days later on June 12, 1926, half of Barcelona mourning his death. He was buried in the midst of La Sagrada Família.[6] Because he did not use blue prints for his unfinished masterpiece but worked from his imagination, his fellow workers could not complete it. It is for this that Gaudí is known to many in Spain as "God's Architect". La Sagrada Família is now being restored but differences between his work and the new additions can be seen.

Artistic style

Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece, Sagrada Família

Gaudí's first works were designed in the style of gothic and traditional Spanish architectural modes, but he soon developed his own distinct sculptural style. French architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, who promoted an evolved form of gothic architecture, proved a major influence on Gaudí. But the student surpassed the master architect and contrived highly original designs – irregular and fantastically intricate. Some of his greatest works, most notably La Sagrada Família, have an almost hallucinatory power.[citation needed]

Arch and spiral staircase.

He integrated the Catenary|parabolic arch and hyperboloid structures, nature's organic shapes,[7] and the fluidity of water into his architecture. While designing buildings, he observed the forces of gravity and related catenary principles.[8] (Gaudí designed many of his structures upside down by hanging various weights on interconnected strings or chains, using gravity to calculate catenaries for a natural curved arch or vault.[7])

Using the trencadís technique, Gaudí often decorated surfaces with broken tiles.[8]

The architect's work was categorized as Art Nouveau architecture, a precursor to modern architecture. But his adoption of biomorphic shapes rather than orthogonal lines put him in a category unto himself (in Latin, sui generis).

Though hailed as a genius, some hypothesize that Gaudí was color blind and that it was only in collaboration with Josep Maria Jujol – an architect twenty seven years his junior whom he acknowledged as a genius in his own right – that he produced his greatest works.[citation needed]

Interests

Gaudí, throughout his life, was fascinated by nature. He studied nature's angles and curves and incorporated them into his designs. Instead of relying on geometric shapes, he mimicked the way trees and humans grow and stand upright. The hyperboloids and paraboloids he borrowed from nature were easily reinforced by steel rods and allowed his designs to resemble elements from the environment.

Because of his rheumatism, the artist observed a strict vegetarian diet, used homeopathic drug therapy, underwent water therapy, and hiked regularly. Long walks, besides suppressing his rheumatism, further allowed him to experience nature.

Popularity

Gaudí's originality was at first ridiculed by his peers. Indeed, he was first only supported by the rich industrialist Eusebi Güell. His fellow citizens referred to the Casa Milà as La Pedrera ("the quarry"), and George Orwell, who stayed at Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War, admittedly loathed his work. As time passed, though, his work became more famous, up to the point that he is now considered one of Catalonia's, and the world's, best and brightest.

Social and political influences

The opportunities afforded by Catalonia's socioeconomic and political influences were endless. Catalans such as Antoni Gaudí often showcased the region's diverse art techniques in their works. By mimicking nature, such artists symbolically pushed back the province's ever-increasing industrial society. Gaudí, among others, promoted the Catalan movement for regaining independence from Spain by incorporating elements of Catalan culture in his designs.[8]

Major works

View of the Park Güell, El Carmel, Barcelona.
  • Casa Vicens (1878–1880)
  • Palau Güell (1885–1889)
  • College of the Teresianas (1888–1890)
  • Crypt of the Church of Colònia Güell (1898–1916)
  • Casa Calvet (1899–1904)
  • Casa Batlló (1905–1907)
  • Casa Milà (La Pedrera) (1905–1907)
  • Park Güell (1900–1914)
  • Sagrada Família Nativity façade and Crypt of the Sagrada Família cathedral (1884–1926)

Influence

  • Gaudí's abandoned plans for a New York skyscraper hotel were re-proposed for the redesign of the World Trade Center after the September 11, 2001 attacks.[9]
  • In 1992, five artists founded La Asociación pro Beatificación de Antoni Gaudí. The secular association has since pushed for the Roman Catholic church to declare Gaudí blessed.[10]
  • Gaudí's life and work inspired The Alan Parsons Project to create the 1987 album Gaudí.
  • There are striking similarities between the work of Gaudí and that of Friedensreich Hundertwasser, mainly in the latter man's biomorphic forms and use of tile.

Notes

  1. See, in Catalan, Juan Bergós Massó, Gaudí, l'home i la obra ("Gaudí: The Man and his Work"), Universitat Politècnica de Barcelona (Càtedra Gaudí), 1974 - ISBN 84-600-6248-1, section "Nacimiento" (Birth), pp. 17-18.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Biography at Gaudí and Barcelona Club, page 1. Retrieved 2005-11-05.
  3. Biography at ArteHistoria (in Spanish). Retrieved 2005-11-09.
  4. Ruta del Modernisme de Barcelona (in Catalan). Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  5. Biography at Gaudí and Barcelona Club, page 4.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Biography at Gaudí and Barcelona Club, page 5. Retrieved 2005-11-09.
  7. 7.0 7.1 The Works of Gaudi, retrieved 2007-04-03
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Roth, Leland M. (1993). Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History and Meaning, First, Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 452-4. ISBN 0-06-430158-3. 
  9. The Hotel Attraction project is a candidate for the New York World Trade Center site.
  10. Playà Maset, Josep. "The Vatican initiates the beatification process for Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí", in La Vanguardia, Barcelona, 12 March 2000. Reproduced at Gaudí and Barcelona Club. Retrieved 9 November 2005.

Popular culture

  • Gaudi's final days, much of his architectural works and the mystery of the Sagrada Família towers and its Passion façade figure prominently in the 2003 Lupin III TV movie Operation: Return the Treasure

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Bassegoda Nonell, Juan, and Melba Levick. 2000. Antonio Gaudí: master architect. New York: Abbeville Press. ISBN 0789202204 9780789202208.
  • García Vergara, Marisa, and Antoni Gaudí. 2002. Antoni Gaudí. [Madrid]: Ediciones Aldeasa. ISBN 8480033517 9788480033510.
  • Martinell, César. Antoni Gaudí. Barcelona, 1975 (English edition).
  • Antoni Gaudí. 2003. Archipocket classics. Düsseldorf: Te Neues. ISBN 3823845365 9783823845362.


External links

Commons
Wikimedia Commons has media related to::



ast:Antoni Gaudí bs:Antoni Gaudí bg:Антони Гауди ca:Antoni Gaudí i Cornet cs:Antoni Gaudí da:Antoni Gaudí de:Antoni Gaudí el:Αντόνι Γκαουντί es:Antoni Gaudí eo:Antoni Gaudí eu:Antoni Gaudi fr:Antoni Gaudí ga:Antoni Gaudí gl:Antoni Gaudí ko:안토니 가우디 it:Antoni Gaudí he:אנטוני גאודי ka:ანტონიო გაუდი lv:Antonio Gaudi lb:Antoni Gaudí hu:Antoni Gaudí nl:Antoni Gaudí ja:アントニオ・ガウディ no:Antoni Gaudí oc:Antoni Gaudí Cornet nds:Antoni Gaudí pl:Antoni Gaudí pt:Antoni Gaudí ro:Antoni Gaudí ru:Гауди, Антонио sk:Antoni Gaudí sl:Antoni Gaudí sr:Антони Гауди fi:Antoni Gaudí sv:Antoni Gaudí vi:Antoni Gaudí tr:Antoni Gaudí uk:Гауді Антоніо zh:安东尼•高第


Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.