The Creations of Antoni Gaudí
(1852–1926)
Barcelona, Spain
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Antoni Plàcid Guillem
Gaudí i Cornet (25 June 1852–10 June 1926) – in English, normally
referred to by the Spanish translation of his name, Antonio Gaudí
– was a Catalan architect who belonged to the Modernist style (Art Nouveau)
movement and was famous for his unique and highly individualistic designs.
 Birthplace
Antoni Gaudí was born
in the province of Tarragona in southern Catalonia on 25 June 1852. While
there is some dispute as to his birthplace – official documents state that
he was born in the town of Reus, whereas others claim he was born in Riudoms,
a small village 3 miles (5 km) from Reus – 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 coppersmiths.
During his youth, Gaudí
suffered many times from the rheumatic fevers that were common at the time.
This illness caused him to spend much time in isolation, and it also allowed
him to spend lots of time alone with nature.
It was this exposure to nature
at an early age which is thought to have inspired him to incorporate natural
shapes and themes into his later work.
Higher education
As an architecture student
at the Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura in Barcelona from
1873 to 1877, Gaudí was not particularly outstanding, but did excellently
in his 'Trial drawings and projects'. After five years of work, he was
awarded the title of architect in 1878. As he signed the 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.")
The newly-named architect
immediately began to plan and design and would remain affiliated with the
school his entire life. Buildings form the majority of his works, many
of which can be found in Barcelona.
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