GAUDI: LA OBRA COMPLETA

The life of antoni gaudí (1852-1926) was full of complexity and contradictions. As a young man he joined the catalonian nationalist movement and was critical of the church; toward the end of his life he devoted himself completely to the construction of one single spectacular church, la sagrada família. In his youth, he courted a glamorous social life and the demeanor of a dandy. By the time of his death in a tram accident on the streets of barcelona his clothes were so shabby passersby assumed he was a beggar. Gaudí s incomparable architecture channels much of this multifaceted intricacy. From the shimmering textures and skeletal forms of casa batlló to the hispano-arabic matrix of casa vicens, his work merged the influences of orientalism, natural forms, new materials, and religious faith into a unique modernista aesthetic. Today, his unique aesthetic enjoys global popularity and acclaim.