Derided by rationalists for his inimitable style, Gaudi folded function into form through an intuitive synthesis of the past, nature, and imagination that may have foreshadowed today’s architecture. Because of a fire in 1936 at the Sagrada Familia, many of Gaudi’s drawings and models have been lost leaving an incomplete biographical portrait. However, through analysis of his carefully incorporated mythical and natural allusions, and balance of light and geometry, one can piece together a more complete biographical picture. Additionally, by looking at Casa Battlo and Casa Mila, along with several innovative designs, a picture emerges of one who by returning to the origins foretells a prophetic architecture of the future.
Gaudi was born in
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Gaudi also took preparatory courses to get into architectural school and spent five years gaining his certification. While earning his credentials, Gaudi worked on several projects outside of the city of Barcelona. He was a lover of poetry and an insatiable learner, but he relished in the practical and preferred hands-on engagement with learning over drawings and critical theory regarding his creations.
Gaudi’s practical approach to problem solving was an ingenuous confluence of experimentation and invention. He built and tested geometric and organic models using a system of weights, gravity, and photography to determine the capacity of load bearing a structure could endure and adjusted accordingly. This system of testing allowed for asymmetries, convex, and concave shapes, and volumes to penetrate and synthesize into harmonious and functional buildings, devices, and objects where Gaudi could unleash his full creative potential.
Gaudi’s early work revealed Arabic and Gothic influences absorbed during his education. Examples can be seen in the Finca Guell (Figure 1), Casa Vicens (Figure 2), and Collegi de les Teresianes (Figure 3). While thorough investigation of these structures would be advantageous in assembling a more accurate biographical portrait of Gaudi, it exceeds the scope of this paper. Additionally, the assimilated role of nature in the form and content of Gaudi’s later structures reaches toward a more
This essay aims to investigate two different time periods in the history of art. It will scrutinize the influence that the respective societal contexts had on the different artists, which in turn, caused them to arrange the formal elements in a specific way. I will be examining an Egyptian sculpture of the god Isis nursing Horus, her son, as well as the Vladimir Virgin icon, which dates from the Byzantine era. Experts vary on the precise ‘lifetime’ of the Ancient Egyptian civilization, but according to Mason (2007:10) it existed from 3100 BCE up to 30 BCE. The Byzantine era, which
In this essay, I will compare and contrast two different sculptures from two different contexts of art. The first being an Olmec Colossal head (monument 1), from the context of “Art of the Americas,” and the second sculpture being ahead from Rafin Kura. The head from Rafin Kura comes from the context of “Art of Africa.” Both sculptures come from two different time periods and parts of the world. They also are both made with natural materials and have their own symbolic meaning.
In the past, many men in the field of architecture have become famous for their works, especially in the time of the Renaissance in Italy. These men included Filippo Brunelleschi, Leon Battista Alberti, and, perhaps the most important of all, Andrea Palladio. Widely regarded as the most influential and famous architect in the Western world, Andrea Palladio was “the last of the great Humanist architects” (Trachtenburg, 2002, p. 311). Since it is impossible to encompass all of Palladio’s accomplishments in one single essay, this paper will aim to give a detailed overview of Andrea’s early life, influences, greatest works, and his Palladian following.
Many architectural and urban forms and elements that we witness today are largely influenced by how buildings were design and laid in Rome. Not only in terms of its external design that brought upon important messages but the design of interiors and the significance of spatial arrangement of spaces exist within them has created the sense of physical experience in the buildings as well. Rome’s urban development and the rise of architectural movement began during the time of Augustus
Although it does resemble Gothic architecture, it does so in a unique way that is characteristic of the architect Antoni Gaudi (The Sagrada Familia). However, Gaudi’s masterpiece does not follow the definition of Gothic style architecture. “This new architecture, based on the precision of geometry, can be effectively adapted to the new graphic and building technologies. As a consequence, the quality of the works in the Sagrada Familia increases clearly as the construction processes technology is improved. This project is therefore advanced for its time and is also very suitable to the technologies of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries” (Aguado et al., 94). Gaudi believes that the inside of La Sagrada Familia should be left strictly for worship and the outside should tell the story of the Catholic faith. The story that Gaudi wishes to portray can be told by the towers, the east entrance, and the west entrance, which all resemble different aspects of the life of Jesus Christ. This is uncharacteristic of Gothic style cathedrals and basilicas because there are usually small chapels inside the church that explain the stories that relate to Catholicism. Gaudi also has a unique style of architecture that uses geometry to create pillars, columns, arches, as well as allow more light to enter his Gothic style building that had never been seen before. His unique take on the Gothic style was
Antoni Gaudi was a Catalan architect from Spain who lived from 1852-1826 and was the master of Catalan Modernism. Most of Gaudi’s work was marked by his 3 passions of life; religion, nature and architecture. His works show various unique styles that he attained through researching natural forms and employing them in his buildings while studying every detail of his creations, assimilating into his design every innovative design solution. He was influenced by Neo-Gothic art and became a main part of the Modernisme movement, even though his works transcended the design of mainstream Modernisme. He used organic styles inspired by forms he found in nature and rarely drew plans, instead much preferring to use models and 3D moulding. His works
In many places throughout the world many buildings, monuments and sculptures have been made. Some were made centuries ago, and some were made recently. Many works of arts are significant or a great part of history. Some of the many buildings that have been made throughout time could have also been dedicated to someone or something. For example, the Arch of Titus was dedicated to Titus. Another example would be the Arc de Triomphe which was dedicated to soldiers. Many buildings can have a very significant meaning behind them, in the following essay I will be speaking about the importance of both of these works of art, which are the Arch of Titus and the Arc de Triomphe.
The revival of antiquity allowed Greek and Roman influences to appear in Renaissance art as references to the ancient civilizations’ mythology or the reappearance of their architecture. Other characteristics of Renaissance art include humanism and realism. Humanism in art meant the depiction of more human-centered worlds or subjects, and the idea of human individuality (often expressed through portraitures or a broader exploration of the arts). Realism, otherwise known as naturalism, meant a new emphasis on the imitation of reality and the use of mathematical concepts, like the laws of perspective, to achieve that goal. Considering that Lorenzo Ghiberti’s The Gates of Paradise includes all three characteristics of Renaissance art: Greek and Roman antiquity, humanism, and realism, one can further deduce that The Gates of Paradise is a prime example of the prevailing art style of the Renaissance.
In this essay, I will not only be discussing at the connections between Renaissance architecture and cosmology as well as music, but also the what Renaissance architecture is and how it played a key part in architectural design today. The Renaissance period took place during the early 15th century to early 17th century, the age of Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Architects of the time took inspiration from classical Roman architecture. This means it is an analysis of architecture in the ancient world, especially ancient Greece and Rome. What the Renaissance learnt from the Romans has how they used the space, looked at the form and had somewhat accurate measurements. And so, they copied elements and modified it, for example, many columns having a slightly intruded appearance on walls to give decoration to the building. They loved looking at the design and proportions and the mainly thrived in Italy during the early semester. It wasn’t until the latter years where Renaissance architecture started to spread throughout Europe, where many architects were fading from the gothic style previously used. However, large numbers of buildings incorporated a mixture of Renaissance and Gothic styles. A famous building built during the Renaissance period is St Peter’s Basilica, made in Rome, which was designed by many
Robert Herrera LAH 4480 Prof. Cruz-Taura 11/13/2014 The roots, spirit, and state of Cuban Architecture. Cuba is well renown for is outstanding architectural structures and rich cultural history. The eclectic design and structures have roots that date back as far as the times of the native Tanio’s. This paper will explore the different time periods of Cuba and how it reflected the architecture of the time periods.
This essay look into the natural symbols of inside and outside of frank Lloyd wright's falling water and Alvaro Aalto's Vila Marirea. This two house has similarities in their intention and design such as both houses were planned and
Architecture is often mistaken as purely an art form, when in actually it is where art and engineering or art and practicality meet. For example, painting is an art, when preformed well it yields a beautiful picture that evokes a deep human reaction and brings pleasure to its viewer, however this painting provides no function, it cannot shield us from the rain or protect us from the wind or snow, it is purely form. An insulated aluminum shed provides shelter and protection from Mother Nature; however, it is a purely functional building, it was drawn by an engineer, not conceived by an artist to have form. The culmination of form and function is Architecture, the Greeks and Romans fathered this idea and Palladio’s study of roman architecture taught him his valuable truth.
Gaudi studied the natural form as a basis for his architectural detail and further considered this as the spiritual basis of and for his designs. Gaudi wrote:
To understand the characteristics of Baroque style is to truly understand artistic measures of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. Baroque, a single word describing an entire period of art, can be broken down into more than one actual form of art. The new European age birthed this developing style of architecture, coming from ideas on religion and politics. Set apart in three different countries, visitors of St. Peter’s Basilica, Versailles, and Hampton Court Palace, engulf themselves in historic Baroque styles and beauty. The international style “was reinterpreted in different regions so that three distinct manifestations of the style emerged” (Matthews 392). The florid, classical, and restrained baroque design of the three different buildings gives us a historic lesson on the reasoning behind its purpose.
Sagrada Familia – “The expiatory church of La Sagrada Família is a work on a grand scale which was begun on 19 March 1882 from a project by the diocesan architect Francisco de Paula del Villar (1828-1901). At the end of 1883 Gaudi was commissioned to carry on the works, a task that he did not abandon until his death in 1926. Since then different architects have continued the work after his original idea.“ (Sagrada Familia 2015) This is a fantastic piece of on going architecture and the interior lives up to the exterior as well. It basically shows what Barcelona if as a city. Having been here before it has always been a source of inspiration.