Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926)

I've long been fascinated by Antonio Gaudi and his work......even more so after I first visited Barcelona and saw his work in the Sagrada Familia, Parc Guell, Casa Batlló and Casa Pedrera (amongst others). When I first saw the Sagrada Familia it was in about 1977 and only the facade of the nativity (the eastern side) was more or less complete. But the work has continued and it seems that they must be getting close to completion now. Later when I last visited (around 1992) the contributions of the sculptor Subirachs were plainly evident. Very different. but somehow in harmony with the earlier Arte Nouveau style of Gaudi. This current book, is quite a treasure. The authors have been able to access photos and insights from people actually living in the houses and I found that quite fascinating. And , No. I would not like to live in one. It's not so much that they are badly designed for living in but the inhabitants seem to be constantly pestered by tourists and students of architecture for access or comments.
I understand, from reading elsewhere, that one of the secrets of Gaudi's success in Barcelona was his access to highly skilled artisans in fields like ironwork and ceramics. And one can see this in the liberal use he's made of these skills in all his projects but especially with something like the dragon gate to Parc Guell. (Actually, you can see these skills exemplified all around the old part of Barcelona...with the grills on windows or the ornamental door knockers).
I like this book. There is even one architect on record there who has been brave enough to say he doesn't like the Sagrada Familia...and there are all sorts of other insights. What made his work on large scale, feasible was that Barcelona was an industrial hub ...especially with textiles and there were extremely wealthy industrialists who could indulge in artistic follies....hence the licence that Gaudi seemed to be granted to indulge his dreams. There is a little there about Gaudi the man. And he certainly was a rather strange austere figure. What's not really brought out in the book is his religiosity which I understand was fairly extreme. I can't imagine that he would be a fun guy to work with (or for)......they do mention his capacity for towering rages. OK...he had some personality defects but he did produce some extraordinary works of architecture. (They even mention a park-gardens he designed at Bergueda though virtually nothing of his work in the North of Spain...eg Leon).
Lovely pictures, Incisive, and thoughtful text. The year 2002 coincides with the 150th anniversary of the architect's birth ...hence the special publication. Happy to give the book five stars. I enjoyed it.… (más)

So Guadi didn't write much about his techniques or ideas about architecture and these are a collection of sayings attributed to him by his students. Actually quite a nice lot of illustrations to back-up the bon mots of the master. I remember, the first time that I saw Guell Park and then the Sagrada Familia (in about 1978) that I was really blown away. The work was so sculptural .....all of it. And his wild use of ceramics! Whole plates simply broken and then set into the cement in Guell Park. And his familiarity and clever use of cast and wrought iron. I guess it helped coming from Barcelona where there were great traditions in ironworking and in stone working. I am still enthralled by the very flat Catalan arch. How can they get this thing to hold itself up...let alone a number of levels of building above it. (Though I did notice in one of the pictures that the multi compound vaulted roof of his workshop at the Sagrada Familia has suffered a few cracks over the years).
This particular book......"Gaudi by Gaudi" (as I translate it) is a multi language (Spanish, English German) small book...probably directed at tourists. I have numerous other books about Architecto Gaudi but this one packs a lot into a small space and has some lovely photographs and illustrations. I never knew, for example, that the Nativity facade of the Sagrada Familiar was meant to be coloured; red blue and green. (It doesn't look all that great to me in the model).
It even has a few cartoons of Gaudi. He was clearly quite a strange guy. Intensely religious.....rather right wing religious as I recall and this may explain the paucity of materials about the overall concept of the Sagrada Familia, because the socialists ....at some point during the Spanish Civil war broke up his models and destroyed his plans. No wonder they lost against Franco. George Orwell, who was there with the International Brigade found there was more fighting between factions on the Republican side than against Franco's troops. A real pity because I remember coming away from the Sagrada familia, disappointed and confused because I couldn't see what it was meant to look like eventually. (I think they had one sketch by Gaudi) but in the construction over the last 50 years, a lot of progress has been made and it's possible to even see an end in sight for the finalisation of the cathedral. It is certainly a wonderful piece of work.
A small book...but it packs a punch. I give it four stars.… (más)

I have no idea when this was published but I guesstimated 1970. This is just a small fold-out bk of picture postcards of Gaudi's great cathedral. Gaudi's work has always impressed me as truly special & amazing. The biomorphicness of his shapes stand out. The incredible level of detail. Interestingly, this collection of fotos by A. Zerkowitz presumably targetted at Barcelona tourists doesn't even credit Gaudi at all. There's a picture of him but that's it. Maybe it was taken for granted that everyone wd know that Gaudi designed the bldg shown.… (más)

En 2002 l'architecte Antoni Gaudí est mondialement connu. Tout étranger en visite à Barcelone a admiré la Maison des Os, la Pedrera et la Sagrada Família. Mais que sait-on de l'homme ' Il vécut seul, mourut sans descendance, n'écrivit aucun texte, ni technique ni théorique. L'homme Gaudi reste un mystère. Aussi les Paroles et Ecrits de Gaudi, livre Catalan édité en 1981, qui recueille les propos de l'architecte, nous permet de deviner l'homme derrière l'architecte, un homme dont la passion suprême fut de mettre l'Art au service de la Vérité que seule la Beauté pouvait révéler .… (más)