Gaudí of BarcelonaI am living in Barcelona for several weeks and roving around this city one becomes aware of how the architect Antoni Gaudí has left his mark.
Constructive Mark
From lamp posts, to parks, churches and houses, Gaudí pushed the bounds of what was familiar and put his creative stamp on everything he touched.
In a web site giving information on Barcelona’s modernisme movement, there is this thumbnail sketch of Gaudí’s life and the insightful statement made about the young architect at his graduation:
Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (1852-1926)
Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was born in 1852 in Reus to a family of coppersmiths from Riudoms. The smallest of five brothers, he moved to Barcelona in 1873 to study architecture, which he finished four years later.
Only Time Will Tell
It is said that on awarding him his degree, the Director of the School of Architecture, Elies Rogent, muttered “Who knows whether we have given the degree to a madman or a genius: only time will tell”.
Source: Ruta del Modernisme, Barcelona Modernisme Route, Ajuntament de Barcelona.
Dr Geoff Pound
Geoff Pound can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.
Image: Some of the buildings and spaces where Gaudí made his mark.