Antoni Gaudí: Barcelona's modernist architect and naturalist

Antoni GAUDI

As some who has visited Barcelona, one would perhaps always remember the historical area around Los Ramblas, the old Gothic Cathedral or the Olympic Stadium, as well as the special charm of the city, proud in its Catalan spirit, but there is little chance that something is likely to impress you more than the presence of Antoni Gaudi in the city, his modernist creations, his dedication to the city and, even more so, the intrinsic relationship between the city and the architect. Indeed, Gaudi has only worked and created in Barcelona and the city represented to Gaudi something that Aix-en Provence was for another artistic genius, Cezanne: place of inspiration and artistic evolution, but probably also the only place where the interior effervescence could be properly exploited.

Brief Biography of Antonio Gaudi

Gaudi was born in 1852 in a family of coppersmiths, with long traditions in this field (his father was a several generations coppersmith and his mother came herself from a similar family). The physical rheumatism he was born with and which made walking hard and painful stuck with him his entire life. As a child, his rather stationary activity developed a keen sense of observation and an inner vision he was to carry with him his entire life. The observation spirit became one of his trademarks and was developed as a child: he used his free time observing animals and plants, their shapes and behavior, later to use them in his work. A true naturalist, drawing inspiration from the animal, vegetal and mineral world around, Gaudi would exploit everything that he learned in his early days.

Legends incline us to believe that Gaudi's genius had manifested itself early during his primary education, as well as later on in University, through his keen observation spirit and his interest for detail. While any such stories should generally be looked upon with the same circumspection we would regard any legends about artists, three are two we should briefly mention. If true, they give a note on the inclinations of the artist in his childhood.

One such anecdote tells of one of the teachers in primary school giving a lecture and explaining that birds had wings for flying. Upon this information, Gaudi is said to have responded that the "chickens they had at his house had wings but didn't fly; they used them to run faster." As we would be discussing later on when referring to Gaudi's style and creations, as a naturalist, observing, depicting and representing in his works the world around in the clearest way possible was one of his works' general characteristics. The fact that he had such inclinations ever since his childhood is relevant in this case.

The second fact dates from his days at the Collegi de les Escoles P'es (Pious School) in Reus, where, even if not by far the most outstanding student in his class and school, he was remarkable in his achievements in Geometry, where he had constant excellent grades. No doubt that his early geometry inclinations would later turn him to studying architecture and evolving along this path. Additionally, the objects around him would be transform later on into columns, decorations, ornaments, etc.

It would be during his university years that Gaudi was impacted by the first architectural influences. Studying medieval books, he came in contact with the Gothic style, which would be stylized in his maturity works and, most notably, in the Sacrada Familia. The Gothic, however, was only a starting point, because, as we read in one of Gaudi's later declarations, "the gothic is a dead system. We have to give him back life and treat the construction as naturalistically as possible"

It was also during this period that he became acquainted with the works of the British architect John Ruskin, who sustained that "ornament was the origin of architecture." Indeed, Gaudi would write in his diary later on that "ornamentation plays an essential part, in that it gives character, but nevertheless it is no more than meter and rhyme in poetry." In many ways, the foundations, both theoretical and practical, and sources of inspiration for his creation were discovered in his early years.

His first largest project upon the completion of his studies was the workers' housing in a factory called the Cooperativa Mataronense ("Matar Cooperative"). The vision was "ahead of its time" and the beneficiaries had some reticence in accepting the project. As such, only part of the factory and a kiosk was in the end built, but the project was entirely presented at the Paris World Fair in 1878 and Gaudi's reputation began to pick off. It was during this period that he met his lifelong protector, patron and friend, Eusebio Guell, who would later finance much of his work and whose name remains intrinsically related to Gaudi's and to the creation of modernist Barcelona.

In 1883, Gaudi took charge of the Sacrada Familia project, which would occupy, in total, 43 years of his life, and which would remain the gem of his entire creation. Even if unfinished, the visionary ideas in the project, the colossal enterprise and human resource used entitles it to claim this position. It was by no means the only one. Gaudi worked on several other projects, many of them under the patronage of Eusebio Guell, but also under command from different other prestigious inhabitants of Barcelona at the turn of the century: Josep Batll (Casa Batll) or Pere Mila, member of the Spanish Parliament (Casa Mila).

Antonio Gaudi's work and creation: general characteristics, influences and styles

Gaudi's creation is so complex, so imaginative and visionary that deciding to describe its general characteristics and, perhaps, classify it in any way, is a serious task in itself. This is not the intention here, but having a look at some of the main components is a necessity before going on to describe some of his most important works.

It is just as difficult, because of his versatility, to strictly include Gaudi in a contemporary artistic style. Certainly, most tend to see Gaudi as belonging to the Catalan modernist current. This was characterized by originality of shapes and style and by strong influences present in the works, going back to the Arab occupation and the Spanish Renaissance.

I have already anticipated previously when referring to the architect's biography the importance that Gaudi attributed to decoration and ornamentation. This went as far as some critics denied him the quality of being an architect and preferred to refer to him as a decorator. Nothing falser: he invented the oblique column which he used to replace the traditional supporting arches in many of his buildings and especially in the Sacrada Familia, but also the parabolic arcades, abundant at the cathedral.

However, distinct of this mention, his taste for ornament and decoration would be primordial and would guide his creation. Indeed, one of the most relevant details about his methodology is the fact that he combined concrete with traditional decorative means, such as ceramics or bricks. The use of ceramics in combination with concrete was a break with the traditionalism and an adherence vow to the modernist school, which allowed Gaudi to properly exploit his creed in a slow, painful, but fulfilling process of creation. Perhaps the best example of ceramics use in Gaudi's works is at the Guell Park. Deemed by some "obsessing," ceramics used in different colors and shapes makes for a beautiful aesthetic achievement.

On one side, we had the functionalist school, which sustained the idea that the best, cheapest and easiest construction means and material needed to be used, while on the other, architects such as Gaudi and Frank Lloyd Wright were classified as "megalomaniac and inclined to ruin." However, at last in Gaudi's case, his excessive inclination towards details and towards a constant improvement of his work came from the material security that the presence of his friend and patron, Eusebio Guell, brought about. The constant supply of work from him assured Gaudi the security he needed in order to complete his style and work according to his own time and credo.

This tendency and inclination towards ornamentation and decoration, following the Classic Gothic tradition (if we remember some of the most notable French cathedrals of the 12th and 13th centuries - all these have lots of decorative work on the outside facade), went hand in hand with naturalism, which seems to have formed the other strong characteristic of Gaudi's work.

Indeed, his sources of inspiration revolved around things he noticed in every day life and which he then represented, ad - literam or stylized in his buildings. In terms of structure, he used two natural elements to rely on. First, it was the tree and Gaudi himself once said that "the tree is my master." The tree allowed for the architect to use it as stylized columns or structural elements of support in his work. For example, if we look at the Guell Park, we will see petrified and stylized trees all over, as forms of sustaining the edifice.

The second structural element used by Gaudi as a source of inspiration was the skeleton, the structure on which the entire construction relied. It is a fact that Gaudi studied both shells and animals' skeletons before proceeding to build his own structure for the construction. The Casa Milla, for example, shows previous studies of shells and a significant resemblance with them.

Perhaps one of the best examples of how Gaudi used biological elements around him as sources of inspiration comes from one his own stories, the way he created the donkey, from the "Flight into Egypt" ensemble, "carved in stone at the entrance of the big portal." Everything, including Joseph and Mary, had been inspired from people that Gaudi had met in the streets of Barcelona. The donkey itself was a problem, so that the architect made an announcement seeking a donkey from which a plaster cast could be made and later used in the sculptural group.

No doubt the finest donkeys in Barcelona were brought, but they were not in line with what Gaudi was searching for, in his own words, a "poor, old and weary, and surely one which had something kindly in his face and understood what it was all about." So the respective donkey was finally found in the property of a woman selling scouring sand and was used in the work.

The story shows what Gaudi's naturalism is all about and, even more interesting, makes up part of his split personality. Here we have an artist that on one hand prefers to stylize almost everything, to use his imagination in order to bring life into shapes, forms and colors and to create new perceptions and, on the other hand, the same artist draws his very inspiration from everyday examples and elements from the world and city surrounding him. There is however nothing controversial here: Gaudi uses indeed naturalism and natural examples, forms or shapes, but he fits them in his own imagery and his own artistic vision.

Gaudi's decorative tastes draw their influences from many sources, including the Oriental art, with fantastic figures and shapes. It is however noticeable that Gaudi decorates and ornaments following a rigorous rationale. As he himself puts it, "the elements and their decorative motifs must contrast" and contrasting would include odd combinations and motifs.

It is important to make a point when referring to Gaudi's art as exuberant and without boundaries. His vision is indeed so, however, as the quotation previously mentioned shows, everything he works into his creations follows a rigorous plan and nothing is left to chance. Here we have an artist who studies structural elements in everyday life in order to use them later in his own work, who makes plans about where and how to decorate, but who, on the other hand, lets his imagination run wild and realizing the most unexpected forms.

Keeping in mind some of the general characteristics of Gaudi's works, among them naturalism, ornamentation and Oriental influences, it is appropriate to have a closer look at some of his most representative creations, the Sacrada Familia, the Pedrera (Casa Milla) and the Park Guell.

La Pedrera - Casa Mila

La Pedrera was Gaudi's last civil edifice built before dedicating himself exclusively to the construction of the Sacrada Familia. The name Casa Mila comes from the contractor and owner, Pere Mila Camps, who was inspired by Gaudi's achievement of Casa Battlo and wanted a similar building for himself. The architect's plan was a complete array of all the elements Gaudi had used in the past and which are a trademark for him. Catalan-style vaults come together with iron columns and metallic girders to complete a futuristic structure.

The facade, out of place and time, is the first that surprises, architecturally and aesthetically. Conceived as a large wave and placed on a corner, the first impression is that such a construction cannot stand, because it would be physically impossible. The technical explanation for this achieved is quite simple: "summers are built into the stone and are attached to girders of various lengths." Additional catenary arches were also used in order to support the exterior facade.

Gaudi's artistic vision suffered some extensive criticism from his contemporaries and trouble with the official institutions followed as soon as part of the construction had been finalized. First of all, governmental officials sustained that one of the base columns in the construction occupied one meter of the sidewalk, entering thus public property. Even if he acknowledged his mistake, Gaudi refused to change it, partly because of his artistic credo and partly because of his own stubbornness. He implied that he accepted the decision if the column would be removed, but that he would place an inscription to describe the reasons that had led to this. The city government withdrew its claim.

However, later on in the process, one of the cornices extended the limits within which it was supposed to be built. The height of the building, four meters higher than initially projected and the total volume of the construction were additional faults for which the city government implied that the attic needed to be torn down. Upon interventions and deciding on the artistic value of the construction, the building was deemed not to be "subject to city ordinances."

Gaudi's religious spirit supported the placement of a statue of the Virgin of the Rosary for the facade, however, the Tragic Week, which marked the burning down of several churches in Barcelona, convinced Mr. Mila to eliminate any religious element on his building, for fear it might endure the same treatment.

The aesthetic interpretation of the Pedrera can range from Clemenceau's words, who swore he would never set foot again in a city that tolerated such horrible pieces of art, to admiration for the incredible sensation of movement that the architect is achieving in what anyone would see as a still form. No one could deny the building's sense of equilibrium, but the construction can be perhaps best interpreted as the expression of the artistic genius and torment of its creator.

The Guell Park

Declared UNESCO monument in 1984, the Park Guell was the best homage that Gaudi could bring to his protector. In the same time a "garden-city" and a "dream decor that any Hollywood director could use for a film about Martians," the entire complex encompasses a gigantic hall with 86 columns and a marketplace marked on its margin by a serpent-like rail. The red brick wall surrounding the park and the Greek cross over the entrance gate induce the sensation that the visitor is entering an ancient temple, where mysticism and reverie can join forces for an unique state of mind.

Never previously had ceramics been so widely used in a construction, alongside mortar, cement and concrete. This is the last characteristic of Gaudi's creation I had mention, but had not exemplified in his actual works. The ceramics, conceived as large polychrome mosaics, achieve an ornamentation rich in the usual vegetal and animal models that Gaudi's rich imagination brought about.

The interesting and somewhat original characteristic of the Park Guell is the way the architect sees fit to mineralize everything. The supporting 86 columns, seen as sustaining trees obvious, are stylized to represent petrified forms of vegetation. In none of the other constructions do we have the impressive feeling that time stood still and that the world that is presented onto us has stopped in a unique form of equilibrium, an equilibrium that is out of our time and our spatial dimension.

Primitive, Oriental, a combination of Russian and Byzantine architecture, of Disney Land and Alice in Wonderland, the Park Guell will always amaze the visitor with its exuberance of color, of artistic imagination and vision, but also with its ageless appearance.

Conclusions. Gaudi's place in Barcelona

The spirit of Barcelona, its inhabitants and bustling lifestyle would convince any visitor that Gaudi's flamboyant eccentricity would have never been properly appreciated and exploited elsewhere. You would never imagine Gaudi's work in Madrid or London, in Rome or Paris, not because these cities would have rejected his work (although, if we remember Clemenceau's words, we may think again), but because you wouldn't expect his extravagance to meld so well in the landscape.

As someone has once mentioned, Gaudi's buildings are "creations pulsating with melodic rhythm in the dead mass of their surroundings." Functional buildings are seldom alive. Their role is to serve a basic housing or locative need. Modernism makes them a living creation. However, from a living creation to a pulsating and exuberant movement is still a large difference. Gaudi's allows for this to happen. Again I am thinking of the Pedrera, with its wave movement from one corner to the other. Looking at the building, you may wonder whether it is not likely to take off and simply move down the street.

Living and working his entire life in Barcelona, bound by the city with untouchable and unseen strings, Gaudi rewarded its citadin inspiration with an innumerable amount of buildings. The Sacrada Familia, the Casa Calvet, Casa Milla, Casa Battlo, the Park Guell, the Palau Guell are all an additional form of commitment from the architect to the city that provided him with its generous contributions. If we consider the donations with which the Sacrada Familia was raised during Gaudi's days and the fact that all its characters and statues have come from citizens in Barcelona, we may justly assert that the city and the architect have been more of a family for one another than anything else.

The last gesture of gratitude from the city came on the 13th of May 2003, when the three-year process of Gaudi's beatification has come to an end, after enormous contributions from the Archbishop and priests. Bringing arguments such as Gaudi's profound religious spirit, but also the fact that his work can be considered "Work of God," because of "its high mystic and spiritual meaning," the Archbishop ensured that Gaudi's road to sanctity has started. A final tribute from the city and its inhabitants to the one that had brought life to it.

Poetical as they may seem at times, the paragraphs here above will perhaps have described best the unseen connection between the city and the architect and the ties that bind the inhabitants to Gaudi's works. At almost any place in the city, you can see the steeples from the cathedral and you may have the chance of discovering a strange, but beautiful building, tucked away among other grey functional bodies. You may bet it is a Gaudi. And you will win.