Antonio Gaudi

(b. Reus, Spain 1852; d. Barcelona, Spain 1926)

The son of a coppersmith, Antonio Gaudi was born in Reus, Spain in 1852. He studied
at the Escola Superior d'Arquitectura in Barcelona and designed his first major
commission for the Casa Vincens in Barcelona using a Gothic Revival style that set a
precedent for his future work.
Over the course of his career, Gaudi developed a sensuous, curving, almost surreal
design style which established him as the innovative leader of the Spanish Art Nouveau
movement. With little regard for formal order, he juxtaposed unrelated systems and
altered established visual order. Gaudi's characteristically warped form of Gothic
architecture drew admiration from other avant-garde artists.
Although categorized with the Art Nouveau, Gaudi created an entirely original style. He
died in Barcelona in 1926.

Casa Batllo Commentary

"Mighty pillars that appear to resemble the feet of some giant elephant are the first thing
to meet the eye of the passerby from street level. The roof reminds him of a completely
different animal: it is bordered by a jagged line similar to the backbone of a gigantic
dinosaur. A facade extends between the two, including a number of small, elegantly
curved balconies that seem to stick to the front of the house like birds' nests on the face
of the cliff. The facade itself glitters in numerous colours, and small round plates that
look like fish scales are let into it. There are no edges or corners here; even the walls
are rounded in undulations and have in essence the feel of the smooth skin of a sea
serpent about them."