Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (1852-1926)

Works:

In Barcelona:
Bellesguard
Eduard Calvet House
Batlló House
Vicens House
Santa Teresa School
Sagrada Família Schools
La Pedrera
Güell Pavilions
Güell Palace
Park Güell
Sagrada Família     
Miralles Property Fence

In La Pobla de Lillet:
Catllaràs Villa  
Artigas Gardens  

In Mataró:
Workers Cooperative

In Montserrat:
Monumental rosary (1st mistery of Glory)

In Santa Coloma de Cervelló:
Colònia Güell Crypt  

In Garraf (Sitges):
Güell Cellars

Out of Catalonia:
Botines House (León-Spain)
El Capricho (Cantabria-Spain)
Episcopal Palace (Astorga-Spain)

Life

(See also Chronology):
Gaudí was the greatest figure of the Art Nouveau movement in Catalonia known as “Modernisme”. His works are famous all over the world.

Born in Reus (Baix Camp, Catalonia) on June 25, 1852, his schooldays were spent in the Escoles Pies at Reus. After leaving the school, he went to Barcelona where he studied at the Institut d’Ensenyament Mitja and in the Sciences Faculty of Barcelona University. He graduated as architect in 1878.

Almost his entire professional activity took place in Barcelona, where the greater part of his work is found. The social circumstances he lived, a period with a strong city, economic and urban development, the protection of a powerful middle class with the aim to be close to the European tendencies of this period, the development during his life of the “Renaixença” (new impulse of the Catalan culture between XIX and XX century), are the base upon wich Gaudí built his incredible fantasy.

Influenced by Violet-Le-Duc and Ruskin, he was one of the main architects of Art Nouveau, where he is normally classified. However, as other big genius, it is very difficult to classify him, and some opinions classify Gaudí into other artistic tendencies. The count of Güell PortraitGaudi biography is closely related to the Güell family, a family with a huge prestige in industrial and artistic circles at this time in Barcelona.

For this reason, he build for this family the Palau Güell, the Park Güell, the Colonia Güell and other works. In addition to the residential and urban building, Gaudí activity was devoted to the construction of some religious buildings as the Sagrada Família (Holy Family Church) in Barcelona, the Crypt of the Colonia Güell in Santa Coloma de Cervelló and the school of “Santa Teresa de Ganduxer” also in Barcelona.

His global concept of architecture is the reason why, his genius is manifested not only on the front walls and external areas of buildings, but also in the interiors developed with the help of many prestigious craftsmen. After some years of criticism generated by the “Noucentisme” (artistic movement opposed to Art Nouveau developed in Catalonia between 1910 and 1936), today the prestige of Gaudí is a fact accepted all around the world by specialists and people.

Antoni Gaudí died in Barcelona rolled by a tramway the 10 June of 1926.

Gaudí Collaborators:

In order to develop his enormous architectonic work, Gaudí gathered an exceptional set of collaborators, such as architects, sculptors and craftsmen (Contractors, decorators, plasterers, specialists in forge, smelters, carpenters, glassworkers, ceramists, etc.). All of them developed in their respective specialties an enormous work that was closely supervised by Gaudí himself who had a perfection persistence that frequently forced time and time again to repeat works he considered insufficiently elaborated. Naturally and given to the time elapsed and the historical vicissitudes, much of the information had been lost, but we still can know many of these exceptional technicians and workers, some of which are mentioned next:

ARCHITECTS:

Francesc Berenguer i Mestres
Josep Canaleta i Cuadras
Josep Maria Jujol i Gibert
Camil Oliveras Gensana
Joan Rubió i Bellver
Domènec Sugrañes i Gras
Sculptors:
Joan Beltran
Jaume Busquets
Joan Flotats
Josep Llimona i Bruguera
Carles Mani i Roig
Joan Matamala i Flotats
Llorenç Matamala i Pinyol
Rosend Nobas i Ballbé

Painters:
Alexandre de Riquer i Ynglada
Ramon Tusquets i Maignon

CRAFTSMEN:

Building contractors:
Josep Bayo i Font
Policarpo Arias Rodriguez
Agustí Massip

Joiners:
Eudald Puntí
Julià Soley
Casas i Bardés

Ceramics:
Pujol i Bausis
Sebastià Ribó

Locks:
Joan Oñós

Decorators:
Gaspar Homar
Antoni Oliva
Francesc Vidal i Jevellí
Sadurní Vilalta i Amenós

Iron structures:
Torres Ferreria i Construccions

Iron: Germans Badía
Lluís Badía
Salvador Gabarró
Vallet i Piqué

Forged iron:
Manyach

Painters and decorators:
Aleix Clapés i Puig
Marble:
Taller Ventura Germans

Stained-glass:
Tallers Pelegrí

Plasterers:
Joan Beltrán

Other Catalan Art Nouveau Architects

Antoni Gaudí i Cornet
Lluís Domènech i Montaner
Josep Puig i Cadafalch
Antoni Maria Gallissà i Soqué
Josep Maria Jujol i Gibert
Cèsar Martinell i Brunet
Manel Joaquim Raspall i Mallol
Joan Rubió i Bellver
Enric Sagnier i Villavecchia
Salvador Valeri i Pupurull
and others